Over The Next Horizon
by msgordo3
Summary: Set after Angel has been retrieved from the ocean floor and Cordelia has come back to earth. Wolfram and Hart make Cordelia, Willow and Fred an offer they can't refuse. Angel, Gunn and Spike set off in hot pursuit. Much wackiness ensues.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
Part 1.  
Cordelia froze as she felt something cold and hard jammed against the skin of her back and ground in. And she was fairly sure it wasn't the usual cold, hard thing she spent a lot of time fantasising about either.  
  
"Don't move." "Ok."  
  
Her voice was calm and controlled and she relaxed against the wooden door waiting for further orders. She moved her head back slightly as a glossy picture was thrust beneath her nose and she squinted to focus on it  
  
"Come with us and don't pull anything and your friends get to live another hour."  
  
Cordy sucked in a breath as she realised that she was looking at Willow Rosenberg and Fred tied spread-eagled to the ground in nothing but their underwear. She made to turn and grunted as she was shoved hard against the door and cracked her head on the wood  
  
"I said don't try anything. Put your hands behind your back and don't even think about powering up Tinkerbell."  
  
Cordelia frowned and the first stab of real fear went through her. They knew her and they knew her power and it seemed they also knew enough to take hostages to ensure her cooperation. Shit! She took a deep calming breath and spoke in a firm voice  
  
"Look, buddy, there is no way in hell I'm gonna do what you tell me on the basis of one badly focused photo. Let me talk to them and then I'll do whatever you want."  
  
She held her breath and waited and then she heard a click and the unmistakeable sound of buttons being pressed on a cell phone. She kept her eyes fixed on the door in front of her as the man behind her spoke  
  
"She wants to talk to them."  
  
There was another pause and then the phone was slammed against her ear and she heard Willow's trembling voice  
  
"Co.Cordy?"  
  
Cordelia groaned silently and then said  
  
"Willow, it's me. Are you hurt honey? Where are you?" "I.I don't know. I can't see. I.I'm ok, just cold."  
  
Cordelia clenched her fists at the sound of fear in Willow's voice and then said soothingly  
  
"Ok, Will. It's ok, I'm coming. Is Fred there? Is she hurt?"  
  
Her eyes blazed as she heard Willow cry out and then Fred spoke  
  
"Cordelia?" "I'm here Fred. Are you ok?"  
  
The young Texan sounded surprisingly calm and although her voice shook Cordelia was unsure whether it was cold or nerves  
  
"I'm fine. They keep hurting Willow though and callin' her names and stuff." "What kind of names?" "Witch and.other things. Cordy, they've covered my eyes and I can't see where we are."  
  
The young girl's voice rose in panic and then Cordelia heard another woman's voice over the phone but this one was in control and just a tiny bit smug  
  
"Cordelia. Your friends don't have long. My men will bring you to them but you only have an hour. If they don't reach here by then, intact and with a full complement of men in the unit, I will turn your friends over to my friends and it will all get very unpleasant. Do we understand each other?"  
  
Cordelia gritted her teeth and spat  
  
"Lilah!"  
  
A light chuckle came through the phone in answer and Cordy squeezed her eyes shut in rage and spoke in a viciously hard voice  
  
"I'm coming Lilah and if they're not alive and in one piece when I get there I will kill you." "I'm human, darling. Not exactly cricket is it?" "Ask me if I care."  
  
She jerked her head away from the phone and thrust her hands behind her back  
  
"Let's go."  
Fifty minutes later and Cordelia felt the car she was travelling in come to halt. The car door opened and she was yanked out to land on her knees on a hard stony surface. The blindfold around her eyes was completely fitted over her eyes and not a chink of light could pass through it to help her get her bearings. She kept her face blank as she climbed to her feet with minimal difficulty silently congratulating herself on keeping up the training with Angel after she had returned to her own dimension. No doubt about it three hours of martial training a day did wonders for her motor skills. A hand grabbed her arm again and she allowed herself to be pulled forward along the uneven surface. She had the impression of entering some kind of shelter as the light wind that cut through her peasant top ceased and then her arms were freed and she was blinking in the light as the blindfold was pulled roughly away along with a chunk of her newly brown hair.  
  
She took a moment to gather herself and then looked slowly around her at a rough wooden shack and at least ten men in commando gear standing with very large guns trained on her. She glared at them and then looked to the floor where her two friends still lay exposed to the elements and the stares of the men around them. She moved forward and dropped to her knees and laid a hand on each girl's arm her stomach clenching at the whimpers of fright at her touch  
  
"It's ok. It's me. Hold still while I untie you."  
  
She reached for the ropes biting into Fred's flesh and then paused as Lilah's voice came from behind her  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
Cordy glanced back over her shoulder and shot the older woman a venomous look and then calmly began to pull at the thick rope  
  
"Yeah? Well I wouldn't wear that suit with those butt ugly shoes and lipstick so that just proves how much you know."  
  
She freed one arm and then freed the other helping Fred sit up and remove her blindfold and then turned to free Willow. The red headed witch had purpling welts all over her body and her bonds were tighter than Fred's and were stained with fresh blood. Cordelia's mouth firmed in a straight angry line but she kept a tight rein on her temper and concentrated on freeing her friend and getting them all the hell out of there. She consoled herself with the thought that there would be plenty of time later to dish out some good old fashioned whup ass retribution. When both girls were sitting up and untying the rope that bound their feet she stood and placed both hands on her hips to stare disdainfully at the tall woman before her  
  
"Well you look much less bloodied and battered than the last time I saw you. No one try and kill you recently?"  
  
She grinned as she saw a muscle twitch in the woman's jaw at the reminder of the first meeting they had shared. Lilah glared at the young woman before her and kept a tight lid on her temper at the casual way the little bitch insulted her and concentrated on the reason she had had the girls brought to her  
  
"I think I'd be more concerned about my own health in your position Cordelia." "Yeah? Well you're not me are you? So fill me in on your latest little scheme and I'll get busy doing what I do and blow it out of the water."  
  
She paused and glanced behind her at her friends  
  
"And give them their clothes back before you really piss me off."  
  
Lilah nodded and a man stepped forward handing a bundle of clothes to each girl. Willow snatched hers and began to pull them on all the while sneaking amazed looks at the woman that the former Queen Bitch of her high school had evolved into. In the three almost four years since Cordelia had left town she had spoken to her former nemesis cum sort of friend a few times on the phone and over e-mail but only seen her that once when she was in LA to deliver the news of Buffy's death and she'd been kind of preoccupied at the time.  
  
Now the glossy black mane of hair had gone as had the 'come screw me' skirts and instead she sported a swinging light brown bob, casual jeans and pretty top and from what Willow could see minimal make up. She held herself tall and at ease in the centre of the room fingers curled loosely at her sides and with a start Willow realised that she had seen Buffy adopt that self same pose hundreds of times before a fight and Cordelia positively radiated confidence and self assurance despite the heavy artillery aimed at her. Obviously Willow wasn't the only one that had undergone a dramatic lifestyle renovation since high school.  
  
She glanced at the girl besides her pulling on jeans and a baby tee that had shared her ordeal with her. Small and ultra skinny with a mass of black wavy hair and huge dark eyes, her skin was flushed with shame as she covered herself and as she met Willow's eyes she gave a tremulous smile that the red head returned. Fred's head turned and she stared around the room and then she swallowed and went to stand at Cordelia's back her eyes sweeping the room where the seer couldn't watch. Willow felt a quick tug of recognition at the dark haired girl's instinctive move to cover Cordelia's back and she thought grimly of Buffy back home and her friend's reaction to her best friend sudden disappearance. She really hoped poor Willie wouldn't get his bar trashed again when Buffy and Spike hit it for information. She finished tugging on her boots and went and stood at Cordy's other side grinning as the taller girl said  
  
"Just like old times" "Except for the whole screaming and praying frantically to any God that'll listen part."  
  
Cordy laughed and replied  
  
"At least when I came to your rescue this time you weren't sucking the face off my boyfriend and I haven't got a natty new body piercing."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes and couldn't help but to giggle despite the graveness of the situation  
  
"Cordy let it go, that was high school! And kinda batting for the other team now."  
  
Cordelia smiled and then glowered at Lilah as the woman said coldly  
  
"Well as interesting as this little reunion is do you think we could get back to the little matter of your impending dooms?"  
  
Cordelia reached back to touch Fred's hand as she felt the other girl shiver against her and sneered  
  
"Right Lilah. Drop the bargain basement femme fatale act and tell us what you want. And make it quick because a Slayer and a vampire with soul will be coming knocking any minute now."  
  
She folded her arms and tapped her low-heeled boot impatiently staring fearlessly into the lawyer's eyes. Lilah smiled and pushed her hair away from her face and then glanced at her bright red nails.  
  
"You just don't know when to give up do you? So confident that your little shield of light and morality will protect you against anything I throw at you. Well Ms Chase have a little chew on this conundrum. In six months a major new demonic power will rise helped of course by my company and we will oversee all sacrifices and rituals to achieve it's successful rising. The only thing we are missing is a certain artefact to ensure it's continuing existence in this dimension when the ritual is complete. That's where you come in. The Light of Rumen is kept in a heavenly dimension that only a warrior of the light can enter safely."  
  
She smiled complacently as Cordelia started in understanding and continued  
  
"Oh it gets better. The doorway to this dimension can only be opened with specific rituals and incantations that have yet to be found and translated by anyone. That's where they come in."  
  
She nodded to Willow and Fred as both girls turned to look at her before glancing uneasily back to the men watching them  
  
"We have a lead on the first part of the trail but the Powers actually thought things through this time and we've been blocked at every stage by the need for a warrior of the light. Are you understanding me now?"  
  
Cordelia gave a short nod and tried to calm the sudden frantic racing of her heart as she waited for Lilah to finish  
  
"We need a team that's pure in motive and in heart and that has a strong background in warfare, magics and logic and by happy coincidence we had you three on our radar. How's that for lucky?"  
  
Cordelia swallowed  
  
"Why me? The whole 'blackmailing Angel with someone he loved' ploy worked so well last time why do not it again?"  
  
Lilah's smile widened until Cordelia fully expected the top of her head to fall clean off.  
  
Powers, if you're watching; that'd be great right about now!  
  
She sighed as the bitch ho' from hell's head stayed stubbornly attached and the woman said cheerfully  
  
"There's the kick in the ass. As soul having as your boy is he's still a demon and therefore not pure. And this heavenly dimension the Light is in? Only women can enter. Women with a direct link to the Powers. Women warriors with a direct link to the Powers. Catch my drift?"  
  
She waited a beat and then practically purred  
  
"And as much as I hate to dwell on it I can testify first hand that Angel, despite the girly name, is definitely equipped in the penis department."  
  
Cordelia's face twisted with revulsion and she eyed the woman scornfully  
  
"And I thought Darla was a skanky ho'."  
  
Lilah's face twisted with rage and she took a step forward before she remembered herself  
  
"Really? Well I obviously have something babe. Your Watcher friend turned out to be even more of an animal than your demon boss."  
  
This time Fred turned and joined Cordelia in the disgusted staring  
  
"Fred." "Way ahead of you Cordy. When we get back I'll book them both in for a full medical."  
  
Her eyes ran up and down Lilah's lush figure and the Texan smirked before adding  
  
"And an industrial strength pesticide spray."  
  
Lilah glared around the room furiously as several laughs were choked off and she spat  
  
"Little girl I'd be a bit more careful who I go around insulting if I were you. The nice men with guns are being paid by me and if I say shoot they will."  
  
Fred rolled her eyes but stayed silent. Cordelia took a step forward and ignored the nervous flinching of several of the hired guns  
  
"Get on with it Lilah. What makes you think we'll trot merrily off to do your dirty work for you?"  
  
Lilah smiled again  
  
"Well there's the little matter of the Curse of Saynamen for a start."  
  
Willow gasped and felt the blood drain from her face. Lilah's smile widened  
  
"See that's why I knew your friend would be the best witch for the job. Incredible knowledge of the blacker arts."  
  
Cordelia frowned  
  
"The Curse of what now?"  
  
Willow swallowed and wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans  
  
"The Curse of Saynamen. It's the blackest of the black arts Cordy."  
  
The seer felt her heart drop like a stone at the fear in Willow's voice but kept her eyes level on Lilah's as she said  
  
"What does it do?"  
  
Willow felt a lump rise in her throat but swallowed again and managed to say  
  
"It was used by a black magician back in the fourteen hundreds when he tried to take the seat of power from a rival. The rival needed to reach his brother who lived three months travel away and the help was needed immediately. The rival magician used magic to bring his brother to him but he didn't know that the black magician had already bespelled him and when he cast his spell and brought his brother before him his brother exploded into flames and died."  
  
Cordelia felt her mouth go dry and then honestly thought her heart would burst from her chest at Willow's words  
  
"That wasn't the end of it. The curse brought back the brother and the same thing happened over again. And again and again until the mage that had cast the spell finally died over a hundred years later. The two brothers had activated the curse when they were together and never managed to find away to break the spell."  
  
Cordelia swallowed the bitter taste of fear in her mouth and forced away the dizziness that swamped her as Willow told the grim tale. Lilah pushed a hand through her hair casually and stroked a red taloned hand down over one hip  
  
"Of course the curse loses some of it's potency when it's cast over so many people but there's enough juice in it to ensure that they all die pretty horribly at least once."  
  
She gestured behind her and a screen lit up and one by one the faces of their loved ones came up. Buffy, Angel, Xander, Giles, Gunn, Wesley, Spike, Connor, Dawn, Anya and even Lorne were shown in close up vivid detail. The three girls were silent as the beloved faces were shown and then softly Fred began to cry. Lilah waved a hand and the light faded from the screen leaving just her cold face staring stonily at them  
  
"Get me what I need and I'll have the curse lifted. Don't or get some clever ideas about filling your friends in on the plan and they'll go up quicker than a firework on Independence Day. Are we clear?"  
  
Cordelia kept a grip on her temper but only just. She took a moment to ensure she had all her power under control and a small bit of it didn't slip away from her and blow Lilah all the way to hell and said  
  
"What makes you think they aren't going to notice us all sneaking around and generally behaving like second rate Charlie's Angels? They're champions of humanity not Joe Deafdumbandblind from Stupidville."  
  
Lilah took a deep breath and felt the satisfaction rush through her at the thought of the pain she was about to cause so many people. This was what made the job worthwhile. Forget the money and the power the little moments of pure, malicious evil were what got her out of bed in the morning  
  
"Well it's kind of hard to spot what's going on under your noses when the thing you need to spot isn't there."  
  
The three girls frowned at her in confusion  
  
"You leave tonight. You all write one short simple little note, under my strict supervision of course, explaining how you just have to get away or that you just can't take it anymore, whatever, and then just get in the truck outside and leave town and you don't call or write or astral project any little funky SOS messages. You just disappear."  
  
Cordelia laughed  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me right? This is Angel we're talking about. If we don't show up tomorrow he's going to be on our trail so fast you won't even see him move. Do we remember the fun party times over Darla?"  
  
She jerked a thumb back to indicate Willow  
  
"And her best friend is the Slayer. You know the one girl in all the world most likely to tear this country apart and kick your sorry ass all over town to get to her friend. And that's before she's had her breakfast. Have you actually thought this through at all?"  
  
Lilah smirked  
  
"Oh yeah I've thought it through. See you not only have to get the Light before the new power arises but you also have to keep your friends in the dark. I know that Angel and the others will want to come after you if they think there's even the slightest hint that something's off but you have to make sure they don't. Whatever you put in your little goodbye notes ladies make it good because you need to make them really hate you."  
  
Fred and Willow exchanged horrified looks behind Cordelia's back and then moved in unison to stand shoulder to shoulder with their friend. Cordelia moved her hands so the tips of her fingers just brushed the two girls on either side of her  
  
"And if we don't write these notes? If we say no to your stupid little plan?"  
  
Lilah shrugged  
  
"Then I say the word and they die tonight."  
  
End of Part One. 


	2. Over The Next Horizon 2

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?) Dedications: As always to Jen, the best beta in the world ever! I didn't know she existed a month ago and she very kindly threw herself into my endeavours with no thought for her own personal safety (or sanity!) and completely blew me away with her enthusiasm and dedication. Thank you honey! Also Ina and Mel, thanks muchly for the feedback and happy comments!  
Over The Next Horizon. Part 2.  
Las Vegas. One month later.  
Lorne was having a blast. Centre stage and firmly in the centre of the spotlight and best of all not a brooding vampire and his 'blowing up every damn thing in sight' friends to be seen. He threw back his head as he hit the high note in the chorus of 'Thriller' and rolled his hips happily.  
  
Life was great. He was a headliner for an honest to goodness Vegas show and pulling in crowds of up to seven hundred a night. Ok, so it was a Vegas show that wasn't exactly mainstream what with the crowd being ninety percent other than human and it was definitely hidden from most human eyes courtesy of a major league glamour but still.Vegas!  
  
He grinned as the audience broke into enthusiastic applause and waved to some select members of the audience  
  
"Thank you, Thank you. Always a thrill. Now while I take a well-earned break and do a little schmoozing put your hands together for someone very special.Angel's Bane!"  
  
He turned to his left and led the applause as a young man walked onto the stage clutching a guitar and wearing denim and a scowl. He stood alongside Lorne as the audience applauded loudly and gave a halfhearted smile whilst he hissed out of the side of his mouth  
  
"Will you stop calling me that? They'll think they're here to see David Lee Roth. Tell them my goddamn name."  
  
Lorne threw an arm around the shorter man's shoulders and grinned widely  
  
"Lindsey, darlin', don't you want a bit of mystery? A little bit of ambiguity never hurt anybody. Look at the ladies, practically wetting on the upholstery."  
  
Lindsey obediently looked to the front row where three ghouls waved excitedly at him and oozed some kind of green fluid as his gaze roved over them. He swallowed nervously  
  
"Oh Christ."  
  
Lorne laughed and stepped backwards leaving the spot light to the now vaguely nauseous lawyer. The kid would be fine but just to make sure he might have a little word with security and get them to keep an eye on the ghouls. The last lot they'd had in had become so hot under the collar one of their hands had fallen off and in a moment of sheer ecstasy they had thrown it onto the stage. He was fairly sure the audience had believed that Lindsey's high-pitched scream had been an attempt for a high note especially as the lady had chosen to throw her appendage in the middle of a particularly down and dirty rock number but he didn't want to take the chance of it happening again.  
  
He made his way through the club smiling and waving, stopping at some tables to exchange more personal greetings and then finally made the bar  
  
"Ricardo, Seabreaze if you will hon."  
  
The werewolf behind the bar grinned and obligingly ignored at least three paying customers to pour a large measure of Lorne's favourite tipple. The demon took it with a sigh and sipped rolling his eyes in appreciation  
  
"Ricky, sweetie, one of these days I may have to snatch you up and lock you away and keep your talented hands all for myself."  
  
The dark haired man winked and batted his eyelashes  
  
"Just say the word Lorne and I'm all yours."  
  
Lorne laughed and blew the man a kiss as he moved away  
  
"Promises, promises cupcake."  
  
He smoothed the sleeve of his purple silk suit and glanced idly around the club his red eyes taking in everything. Lindsey sat on stage singing his little heart out eyes down on his guitar strings trying desperately to tune out the increasingly drunken offers from the front row. Lorne frowned and then saw the two female vampires who were providing that nights security moving swiftly through the closely packed tables and relaxed secure in the knowledge disaster had been averted. The rest of the clientele were either focused on the human on stage or quietly chatting amongst themselves making merry with the champers and smokes. Lorne smiled as he turned to see his boss cum friend appear by his side  
  
"Ellie, honey, packed house again. You must be floatin' on a sea of joy tonight."  
  
The nine-foot Toframe demon nodded his massive head and ran a four clawed hand through his yellow, Elvis style quiff  
  
"Thanks to you and the kid. Door sales have gone up fifteen per cent since I put you two on top billing."  
  
Lorne grinned and ran a nonchalant hand over his own immaculate coiffure  
  
"Oh stop. You'll make me blush."  
  
Ellie laughed and gestured to the dimly lit cavern draped in red velvet with gold candelabras flickering on every wall  
  
"Believe me, doll. Before you two arrived I was seriously considering offering a ritual sacrifice every night just to fill some seats. Nothing like a captive audience."  
  
Lorne cleared his throat and looked nervously at his friend "Right. Well, thank the Powers that wasn't necessary."  
  
Ellie grinned  
  
"Yeah. Anyway, got some people I need you to meet. Want to give you a few bars if you know what I mean."  
  
Lorne resisted the urge to roll his eyes and gave a wide smile  
  
"Of course hon. Lead the way."  
  
He followed his friend through the smoky atmosphere and allowed himself a small grimace. Before he came to the desert he had honestly believed that Angelcake was the only being undead who could murder Manilow so comprehensively but he had learned to fear the nightly readings that were a part of his contract. He saw the two humans waiting uncomfortably by the curtained alcove where he gave out his advice and winced. He was afraid, very afraid.  
  
Ellie held the curtain aside and Lorne swept through with the two humans following him. The green skinned demon made himself comfortable on the red velvet lounging chair and smiled warmly up at the two knuckle draggers before him  
  
"Well sweeties, what can I do for you this evening? A little advice on the sweet mystery of love perhaps? Reveal the mystery of the fairer sex?"  
  
The older of the two men, an overly muscled brute with a grey buzz cut and a faded tattoo of a rat on his neck, glared at the being before him and growled  
  
"Cut the Gypsy Rose Lee crap. We're tracking some prey and we need to find it. Now tell us what we have to do and let's get on with this."  
  
Lorne kept the wide smile on his face  
  
And did we mention the 'tudes sucked as much as the singing?  
  
"Ok, reading the 'move it or lose it' vibe loud and clear. Hum me a few chords and lets see where your pesky little critter is hiding."  
  
He flinched slightly as the man mangled Doh Ray Mi  
  
How is that possible? Three notes for cripes sake!  
  
And then froze as Cordelia and Fred together with another girl he didn't know appeared in his mind. He watched as they battled a group of humans and caught the scent of fear and desperation wafting off the three as they ducked and swung. A motel sign behind them flickered in red letters against the sky showing the words 'Vermont Inn". He focused on the men before him and read their intentions of finding and capturing his girls. They had no idea who was employing them, just a pick up point to leave the girls and collect the money. He started as Cordelia's head snapped up suddenly and she stared wildly around her as though sensing his presence and then he was thrown back by the most powerful force he had ever sensed in his life and came to gasping for breath with Ellie worriedly fanning him with that night's programme.  
  
"Jeepers creepers that's some powerful mojo your prey has going on. Nearly took the top of my head clean off!"  
  
Lorne played up the sense of exhaustion he was feeling as he lay limply on the chair whilst his mind raced. What the hell was going on? Why were these creeps tracking Cordy and Fred and where the hell was Angel? And what the hell were they doing in Vermont? Vermont for chrissakes!  
  
He looked up at the men before him  
  
"They're in Canada. Winnipeg. You need to hurry they'll be going further north soon."  
  
He watched as the men threw down a grimy roll of bills and then grabbed Ellie's arm as soon as he felt them exit the club  
  
"I'm going to my dressing room. Get Lindsey off stage and send him to me as quick as you can. Move!"  
  
He watched as the other demon left him and then drained his Seabreeze in one hasty gulp  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
LA.  
  
Angel followed Connor into the hotel lobby and resolutely kept his eyes away from Cordelia's empty desk. One month since she'd left him and he was still no closer to finding out what the hell had driven her to leave so quickly.  
  
Ok, so he hadn't exactly been in a place where he could pick up and carry on where he'd left before he'd got dropped in the ocean but still.taking off without talking to him and just leaving a cold little note? And hello? It's not like he had a choice in where he'd spent his summer unlike little Miss Higher Being. Swanning off to play god in some other dimension. It was pretty obvious that being made a queen paled in comparison and that a lowly demon just wasn't good enough anymore. He scowled and slammed his axe into the wooden doorframe of his office and went to pour himself a large whisky.  
  
And the sacrifices I made for that woman! Bitch.  
  
Connor stood to one side of the door and watched his brooding father. Angel and he had just started to find some common ground before Cordelia had disappeared and now it felt like they were right back to where they started. He felt the loss of the seer's presence keenly and missed the comfort of knowing that Fred was always in the hotel to act as a buffer between him and Angel. He just couldn't understand why Gunn and his Dad moped around all the time instead of looking for the missing girls. Was he the only one who thought something was off about the whole situation? And these people called themselves hunters.  
  
He turned as he heard footsteps behind him and saw the young black man stomp into the hotel  
  
"All demons dead and gone. I'm goin' on home."  
  
He threw a signed off work order onto the hotel desk and turned to leave his now habitual scowl deepening as the phone began to ring. Connor backed away from it slightly with nervous eyes. Despite living around modern technology for some months he remained uneasy about it and definitely seemed to have inherited his father's touch when it came to anything electronic. Two cell phones, one laptop and a hairdryer had fallen victim so far to his ham handed touch and Gunn had eventually banned him from anything electrical.  
  
The older man sighed and glanced in at Angel who, without taking his eyes off the glass in his hand, picked up a stone figurine from his desk threw it at the door slamming it shut. Gunn rolled his eyes irritably and snatched up the phone  
  
"Yeah? Angel Investigations." "Gunn, sweetie, is that you?"  
  
Gunn raised his eyebrows  
  
"Lorne?" "The one and only, my little drop of black magic. Where's Angel?"  
  
Gunn glanced over his shoulder and muttered  
  
"In the office on the fast track to Deaddrunkville. Again."  
  
Lorne sighed impatiently and snapped  
  
"Well, tell him to get his undead ass out there and put me on speaker. We have a problem."  
  
Gunn frowned at the receiver in his hand and then put it back to his ear  
  
"We do? Listen Lorne I really don't think I should go in there. He's pretty cranky at the moment."  
  
He broke off as Lorne interrupted  
  
"I don't care if he's cranked all the way to snapping and then some. Get him out of that office and over to this phone! Our girls have some major league crappola raining down on them and they need our help."  
  
Gunn froze and whispered hoarsely  
  
"Fred? You've seen Fred?"  
  
Lorne hesitated at the other end of the phone and then said slowly  
  
"In a manner of speaking."  
  
His voice became considerably more impatient and he snapped  
  
"And no one told me they were no longer fightin' the fight in the City of Angels because? Jeez, you move a few miles down the road and suddenly the loop vanishes and leaves you to discover two of your best little honeys are fighting for their lives through the readings of some Neanderthal with a bad hair life."  
  
Gun frowned in confusion and opened his mouth to reply then turned as the phone was taken from him and Connor stared up at him  
  
"Go and get Dad. Now."  
  
The older man hesitated and then nodded and Connor lifted the phone to his ear and said carefully  
  
"Lorne?"  
  
There was a long pause at the end of the line and then Lorne spoke  
  
"Connor? Is that you?" "Yes. I.Do you know where they are?" "Sweetie, all I know at the moment is that they're alive and kickin'."  
  
Connor took a deep breath and closed his eyes as sweet relief washed over him and then said quietly  
  
"Will you come home? They'll need your help and I can stay out of your way and go and sleep at Cordelia's apartment."  
  
Lorne frowned at the other end of the phone and said slowly  
  
"Is that what you want?" "Yes. You need to come home and help them." "No, cupcake. Do you want to leave and sleep in the apartment? Cuz I gotta tell you I don't think your Dad will wear it."  
  
Connor frowned at the mental picture of his father trying to wear an apartment the way he'd wear one of his many leather jackets and then said "I thought it would be more comfortable for you if I wasn't here so much. After.the last time."  
  
Lorne laughed and said affectionately  
  
"Cuddlepie, you're a sixteen year old boy. If you weren't awash in resentment and hormones I'd be worried. Now go and make up a bed for me and put your father on. Uncle Lorne's on his way and I'll help your Dad find them and bring them safely home."  
  
I hope.  
  
Connor turned and stared into Angel's eyes and then wordlessly handed the phone over to him. Angel looked back at his son for a moment and took the phone flipping the switch for speaker and replacing the receiver  
  
"Lorne, how are you?" "Cut to the chase, Angel. What's been going on there? I leave town for a few months and it all goes to hell in a hand basket."  
  
Angel closed his eyes for a moment and then began to tell Lorne everything he knew.  
Just outside Vermont  
  
So lately, been wondering Who will be there to take my place  
  
When I'm gone you'll need love to light the shadows on your face  
  
If a great wave should fall and fall upon us all Then between the sand the stone, could you make it on your own  
  
Cordelia tapped her ragged nails against the steering wheel and stared at the dark road ahead thankful for the 'me' time now Willow and Fred had finally fallen asleep. The dilapidated truck rattled along the dark road and she sank into the song playing softly on the radio and thought of Angel.  
  
If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go  
  
Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go  
  
Tears filled her eyes as she thought of home and the men she loved. Connor's face hung before her eyes, reproachful and lost in the strange new world he found himself in and the tears spilled over at the thought of the young boy who saw her as the only chance he would ever have to have a mother  
  
And maybe, I'll find out A way to make it back someday To watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all Then I hope there's someone out there  
  
Who can bring me back to you  
  
A month they had been gone and there was still no end in sight and she was so tired of being the strong one. The one that made the decisions and fought and rallied the troops when it all became too much. She swiped at her cheeks roughly and fought for control.  
  
Run away with my heart  
  
Run away with my hope  
  
Run away with my love  
  
I know now, just quite how My life and love might still go on In your heart, in your mind, I'll stay with you for all of time  
  
That's all they thought they had. Time. Time to make things right between them and then, once again, the universe lifted its big stonkin' boot and stomped on them like bugs. Cordelia sniffed and sat straighter in her seat refusing to shed anymore tears.  
  
If I could, then I would I'll go wherever you will go Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go  
  
She fixed her eyes on the horizon and whispered  
  
"Angel."  
Las Vegas.  
Lorne replaced the handset on his phone and turned to look at Lindsey who had entered a few moments before. Lindsey looked at his obviously shaken friend and frowned  
  
"Problem?"  
  
Lorne stared back at him for a moment unseeingly and then shook his head as though to clear it and moved to pour himself and Lindsey two stiff drinks. He stared at the measures he had tipped into the chunky glasses and then shook his head again and doubled the already generous amount of three fingers of neat whisky. He handed one to Lindsey and then tossed his own straight back and reached for the bottle again ignoring Lindsey's raised eyebrows. He emptied the second glass and stared down into it for a moment and appeared to reach a decision  
  
"Lindsey, darlin', do me a quick favour and hum me a ditty and think of Cordelia will you?"  
  
Lindsey raised his eyebrows again  
  
"Cordelia Chase? What the hell for?"  
  
Lorne threw himself into his overstuffed black velour armchair and rubbed his eyes wearily  
  
"Honey, just humour me."  
  
Lindsey shrugged and chugged back his own whisky and spluttered as it seared his throat on the way down and then croaked out a few chords of "Maneater". Lorne grinned as he recognised the song and then waved his hand to cut Lindsey off  
  
"Ok, first, ewwwww. I don't even think that position is possible babe, much less Cordelia compatible."  
  
He smirked as Lindsey blushed to the roots of his hair and then waved a hand for the human to take a seat across from him. He waited for Lindsey to settle into the matching chair to his own and then fixed serious red eyes on his friend  
  
"Ok, cupcake, here's the thing. I had a reading a few minutes ago with a couple of your species that wanted the whereabouts of some prey they were tracking. Gave me quite a turn to see my favourite seer show up on my own personal view screen let me tell you."  
  
Lindsey raised an eyebrow and drawled  
  
"And this has something to do with me because? Call her pain in the ass boss and let him deal with it."  
  
Lorne sighed as he felt the hostility roll off Lindsey in waves and replied  
  
"I have. Cordelia and another little chickie he cared for disappeared a month ago without so much as a fond farewell and he has no idea where they are. They both left work for the day as normal and then sometime that night made the decision to leave town and popped a note into Angel and Gunn telling them not to look for them, it was all over."  
  
Lindsey laughed  
  
"Still not seeing where I come in, apart from calling him and indulging in some seriously overdue taunting and mocking."  
  
Lorne scowled and leaned forward  
  
"Those two little girls mean a lot to me as well Lindsey, so watch what you say."  
  
Lindsey wiped the smirk off his face at the thought of Angel suffering and said soberly  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Lorne accepted the apology with a nod and leaned back  
  
"Obviously they looked for them but Angel and Gunn were both pretty hurt by whatever was in those notes and let it drop after a week or so. From what I can gather they've been festering away indulging in a rousing good pity fest and doing their best to forget the little Chiquitas ever existed."  
  
Lindsey nodded in agreement  
  
"Who does brooding like Angel does brooding?" "Exactly. Now in from what I saw they have another girl with them as well and they're running scared, they need help. That's where you come in."  
  
Lindsey felt his mouth fall open in astonishment  
  
"Me? What the hell can I do?"  
  
Lorne smiled slightly at the horrified tone of voice  
  
"I want you to go and find them. I told the two inbreds that were here the wrong location, obviously, but I saw them fighting and I don't think they've got only the one set of hunters after them. I'm getting the first flight back to LA to get things moving with Angel and I need to know that someone I trust is on it this end."  
  
Lindsey stared at the demon like he'd suddenly grown an extra head and it had just burst into song and his mind raced. When he'd come across Lorne by chance a few months before he had at first been defensive and decidedly prickly at the effusive welcome the demon had offered him.  
  
After leaving LA he had returned to his first love of singing and had gigged his way around some bars finding the uncomplicated lifestyle a refreshing change to the unrelenting pressure and fear of working for Wolfram and Hart all those years. Almost against his will a friendship had grown between the two lonely individuals adrift from friends and family and then when Lorne had offered him a spot alongside him at Ellie's club he had found himself accepting gratefully. He had slowly let his guard down and now the over the top singer was unquestionably the best friend he'd ever had. They complimented each other well and Lorne had forced the shyer Lindsey out into the world again and almost without realising he found himself enjoying life again.  
  
Lorne sighed  
  
"Lindsey, I know this is asking a lot but I need you. Those girls are in way over their heads and for some reason they won't, or can't, tell their nearest and dearest and they need help. Angel's never been one for thinking with his head when his heart is screaming so much louder, we both know that. I need you."  
  
Lindsey cleared his throat and fought the warm feeling around his heart at the thought of being needed, wanted, for anything. He had slowly discovered himself again in the long months on the road and although he performed night after night for the denizens of the underworld he was in no way happy about throwing himself back into the eternal struggle once more  
  
"What if I do go? I find them and I walk up to Cordelia and tell her I'm there to help? What makes you think I'll stand a chance of convincing her I'm on the level?"  
  
Lorne shrugged  
  
"I don't know but we have to do something. I read your feelings just now and I can see that despite all that happened I can trust you to keep Cordelia safe. Before I send Angel and Gunn after them I need to be sure I'm not going to be doing more harm than good."  
  
Lindsey stared down at the floor for a moment and then shrugged  
  
"Ok, where do I start?"  
  
Lorne sighed with relief  
  
"Thank you. Angel's contacting some people to check out the other girl, from the description he thinks he knows who she is. We wait on that and then we leave."  
  
Lindsey stood and rubbed his suddenly nervously sweating hands along his jeans  
  
"What about Ellie?"  
  
Lorne rolled his eyes as he also stood and then flicked a guilty glance at the door  
  
"Well, cherub, considering we've still got another three months of six nights a week to fulfil.I'm thinking we pack what we can carry and then we sneak out the back door."  
Sunnydale.  
  
Giles reached absently for the phone when it began to ring, eyes and mind focused on the inventory before him.  
  
"The Magic Box, can I help you?"  
  
He sat upright as he recognised the voice on the end of the phone and removed his glasses to suck nervously on the arm  
  
"Angel? How are you?"  
  
He frowned as he listened to the low voice on the other end of the line  
  
"No, she's not in fact. She needed some time to herself and left to take stock."  
  
He broke off again and raised his eyebrows at the urgent interruption from the receiver  
  
"Well, about a month ago since you ask."  
  
His eyebrows shot further up at the furious swearing that blasted into his ear  
  
"Angel, really! I don't think there's any need for that kind of..what? Good god. When?"  
  
He listened intently for a few moments and then spat a few words that rose Angel's eyebrows in LA.  
  
"I'll contact Buffy and the others. Can you set up a web cam? Good, we can be together in an hour. I'll contact you then."  
  
He slammed the phone down and indulged in another brief moment of vicious cursing and then spun on his heel to bump into an open mouthed Anya  
  
"Giles, I really don't think that kind of language is appropriate for a place of business or for a man as old as you are."  
  
He gave her a brief smile  
  
"Sorry. Could you call the others and get them here as soon as possible? It seems we might have somewhat of a situation."  
End of Part 2.  
  
Lyrics by 'The Calling' Song 'Wherever You Will Go' Album 'Camino Palmero' WWW.THECALLINGBAND.COM 


	3. Over The Next Horizon 3

Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
Over The Next Horizon. Part 3.  
Fred watched Cordelia cleaning her knife in the rear view mirror and finally worked up the courage to speak  
  
"Cordy, are y'all ok?"  
  
The seer glanced up and met the other girl's eyes in the mirror and flashed a brief smile  
  
"Sure, just killed two demons and put their human puppet master in ICU. What's not to love, right?"  
  
Fred smiled uncertainly back  
  
"Ok then."  
  
Cordelia sighed and placed her knife on the back seat beside her and winced as she leaned forward to stick her head in between Fred and Willow in the front seats  
  
"Fred, I'm fine. A little smooshed and a little sore but nothing an uncomfortable night in a badly sprung and unhygienic motel bed won't cure."  
  
Willow giggled as she peered through the front windscreen and into the driving rain  
  
"Congratulations, you've hit the jackpot!"  
  
Cordelia followed her gaze and groaned  
  
"Bates Hotel anyone?"  
  
Fred looked nervously out from her position behind the wheel  
  
"Y'all don't think it is do you? Cos I saw that movie and it did not end well."  
  
Her friends rolled their eyes and Willow shifted uncomfortably in her seat flexing her sore shoulders  
  
"I don't care if the grand poobahs of Hell are holding their annual convention there tonight, if I don't get out of this truck in the next minute I'm gonna go crazy."  
  
Cordelia nodded  
  
"Right there with you Will. Fred, pull this goddamn piece of crap over."  
  
The Texan girl nodded and eased the truck over on the road in preparation for the turn  
  
"Ok, but if we all end up psycho meat in the shower don't blame me."  
  
Cordelia and Willow exchanged indulgent glances and then Cordy winked and said guilelessly  
  
"You know, I bet this place does tacos." "Really? Y'all think they might?"  
  
The truck swung off the road and screeched to a halt in front of the motel and Fred was out of the door almost before the engine died  
  
"Cm'on, you guys! I'm starved!"  
LA  
  
Lorne stared in disbelief at the men grouped before him and swept an incredulous glance along the slightly embarrassed row  
  
"Let me get this straight. Cordelia and Fred up and leave on the same night, with no warning whatsoever and give totally different reasons and not one of you thought there was anything at all suspicious about that?"  
  
Connor slowly raised a hand and Lorne rolled his eyes  
  
"You don't count sweetie, apart from obviously being the only person in the room with any brains at all! Angelcakes, we're talking about the love of your undead life here, your reason for being and you thought it was perfectly normal to wake up one morning to an ice cold note and a lack of people of the feminine persuasion about the place?"  
  
Angel glared at the demon  
  
"Actually, yes. This is Cordelia we're talking about. Who knows why she does anything? And not exactly the first time she's run out on me."  
  
Lorne cocked his head to one side and said mockingly  
  
"Oh, poor baby. How you must have suffered. Boo Hoo. You'd think when the wizard gave you a soul he would have thrown in a brain and an instruction manual while he was at it!"  
  
He placed his hands on his hips and snapped  
  
"For a two hundred and chump change vampire, and I don't use the word chump lightly here, you can be the most childish being I've ever met. This is Cordelia. She gave up her life, her dreams, her species for you and you think she's gonna walk out on you on a whim? Grow up Pinocchio and be a real boy."  
  
Angel's head snapped up at Lorne's furious tone but the demon had already moved on to Gunn  
  
"And you, Shaft Jr, what the hell were you thinking? That little girl worshipped you and you believed all that was an act and she was confused about her feelings for Wesley? Are you really that dumb? Because I'm thinking if you are, that such an obviously special boy should be somewhere where he can be properly looked after. Like the state mental institution!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Lorne's eyes narrowed and he snapped  
  
"Don't even think about trying to weasel out of this, you sorry waste of air. What the hell were you thinking?"  
  
He gestured sharply as Gunn and Angel both opened their mouths to begin outraged defences and continued  
  
"I'll tell you what you were thinking. Nothing, absolutely nothing. You let bruised ego and pride take over where cool heads and some fast planning was in order and the Powers alone know what damage has been done."  
  
Angel got to his feet and scowled fiercely  
  
"Now hold on just a damn minute! Even if there is more to this then meets the eye, it still doesn't change the fact that they ran out on us without trusting themselves or us to tell us what the hell was going on. Whatever way you paint it they lied to us and ran."  
  
Lorne glared right back  
  
"Oh when you put it like that.you're even more of an idiot than I thought! They lied, two of the most relentlessly, painfully, honest women I've ever met, lied. Let's take a minute to think why shall we?"  
  
He held up one hand and began ticking points of on his fingers  
  
"1. Obviously they're in some kind of huge trouble 2.They're obviously trying to shield and/or protect you in someway 3. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that all of you are being held over their heads in some way for bargaining chips 4. Cordelia would never take Fred with her and lead her into danger without a very good, or pressing, reason 5. When Cordelia felt me watching her she threw me back quicker than fake silk undies on Valentine's day. Me."  
  
He lowered his hand and stared at the floor for a moment and then met Angel's eyes levelly  
  
"They're scared and desperate like you wouldn't believe, and not just because they were fighting of a pack of inbred, check shirted fools. It's under their skin and dictating their every move. They need us."  
  
He adjusted the lapels of his electric blue suit and briefly met Connor's eyes. The little chicklet looked torn between amazement that his father could be spoken to so impatiently and relief that finally someone was doing something. Lorne winked at him and flashed a reassuring grin and continued  
  
"Did you find out who the other girl is?"  
  
Angel scowled again and said sullenly  
  
"Yes. Her name is Willow and she's a girl Cordelia and I knew a few years ago." "And?"  
  
Angel hesitated and then heaved a resentful sigh  
  
"She's the Slayer's best friend. Buffy says she left the night before Cordelia and Fred and they received a note a few days later saying she needed to be on her own and not to look for her."  
  
Lorne opened and shut his mouth a few times and then managed to splutter  
  
"Do you people ever talk to each to other?"  
  
Angel slanted a glance at Connor  
  
"It's been difficult. Things have changed." "Well, duh! Half the women of your acquaintance have disappeared without a trace for a start."  
  
Angel stepped forward  
  
"Now hold on just a damn minute here."  
  
Lorne took two steps forward and went eyeball to eyeball with the vampire spitting furiously  
  
"Or what? You'll go and lock yourself in your room and sulk away the next hundred years? Cordelia and Fred, your family, left and instead of believing and trusting in the people you knew, you decide that a couple of days looking half-heartedly behind doors and under the beds is sufficient and then disappear up your own ass on yet another 'poor me' trip." "I was hurt!"  
  
Lorne snorted  
  
"Well, excuse me for repeating myself but, Boo Hoo. What the hell makes you think you even deserve to get that girl back after this? You had her for three years and did you do anything about your feelings for her?"  
  
Angel flinched and his eyes roved restlessly around the room, Lorne's mouth twisted and he abruptly lost patience and slammed two hands flat into Angel's chest shoving him back fiercely  
  
"Did you?" "Yes!"  
  
Angel's eyes flashed yellow and his face flickered between his human face and his demon as the tight hold he kept on his temper snapped  
  
"Yes, I did something. I went to the Powers and I gave up my chance of redemption for her. I begged and I pleaded and finally I threatened and then they gave me what I asked for."  
  
He clenched and unclenched his hands at his side and his chest heaved with long held in emotion  
  
"I gave up my shot at humanity and in return they anchored my soul to me and took away the curse."  
  
His arm shot out and pointed at Connor who flinched slightly  
  
"I gave up the one chance my son had to have a normal father someday because I loved her and then she walked out on me without a word. Well, excuse me for not dealing too well with that."  
  
There was a long silence in the room after his outburst and then Lorne said quietly  
  
"Did you tell her?"  
  
All the fight went out of Angel and he sank down besides Gunn again and raked his fingers through his hair saying almost inaudibly  
  
"It never seemed to be the right time. After I did it I thought, what if I've made a mistake? What if it was all just a big stupid misunderstanding and she laughs in my face? Or worse, feels she has to be with me after what I did?"  
  
He gave a short bitter laugh and looked up at Lorne with tortured eyes  
  
"Joke's on me, huh?"  
  
Lorne gave a sympathetic smile  
  
"Ain't that the truth."  
  
He moved to sit beside Connor and leaned back wearily staring up at the high ceiling  
  
"Well, we know now that something ain't right. The question is are you going to do anything about it?"  
  
Gunn and Angel met each other's eyes and exchanged a long silent look. Connor waited and held his breath staring at the floor terrified to look up  
  
"Hell, yeah, we're gonna do something about it." Lorne grinned at the firm resolution in Gunn's voice and raised his head  
  
"Well, let's get started. What happened when you spoke to the Slayer?"  
Sunnydale, the previous evening.  
  
Buffy stared in disbelief at the laptop screen before her  
  
"She's what now?"  
  
Angel moved impatiently on the screen and his voice came through the speakers harsh with irritation and fear as he repeated himself  
  
"She's with Cordelia and Fred and they're in danger."  
  
Buffy glanced around the table and met the Scoobie's eyes silently. Although they'd been worried when Willow left they had respected her wishes to be left alone to deal with her issues herself. A month had gone by without a word and they had grown increasingly concerned but felt unable to do anything as they had agreed to respect their friend's wishes and, more importantly, it was Willow. Ok, she'd tried to end the world and kill them all but at the end of the day she was still Willow and they relied on the fact that out of all of them she was the one most centered and grounded and most likely to know what she was doing.  
  
Dawn leaned forward ignoring the hollow thump and accompanying groan as Xander's head hit the table  
  
"Hi, Angel." "Hey, Dawn."  
  
The youngest, and most recent member of the Scoobs, pushed her newly cut and lightened hair back and said calmly  
  
"How do we know she's definitely in danger? She could be just, you know, having like a road trip deal or something and decided to get some slayage in with Cordy for old times sake."  
  
Buffy glanced at her younger sister and felt a tug of pride at the cool way the younger girl was handling the latest crisis and then her eyes fell on Xander who was nose to wood with the polished table top  
  
"Xander, sit up."  
  
The male Scooby sat up and pushed his dark hair back from his eyes scowling at the screen  
  
"Hey Deadboy, what ya do to tick Cordy off this time?"  
  
Angel scowled back  
  
"Don't call me that. We had some problems a few months ago, not our fault, but there was nothing recently that could have caused this."  
  
Except for the whole unrequited love and unbearable sexual tension every time they were within a hundred yards of each other of course.  
  
He continued with his eyes skipping guiltily away from the screen at the thought  
  
"And it's definitely not a vacation. When they left they made damn sure we couldn't, and wouldn't, look for them and when our associate saw them he'd been asked to trace them because they were prey."  
  
Giles moved forward into the camera's line of sight  
  
"Angel, this associate of yours, could he perhaps try to see them again? Pinpoint their exact location?"  
  
Angel shook his head  
  
"He saw them by using the psychic readings from another being and when Cordelia felt his presence she forced him back and blocked him."  
  
Giles raised his eyebrows  
  
"Good Lord."  
  
Anya leaned forward pushing Giles out of the way  
  
"Hi! I don't know whether you remember me? I'm Anya."  
  
Angel gave a small smile  
  
"Hi, sure. You're Xander's girlfriend, right?"  
  
Anya snorted  
  
"I was until he left me wailing at the altar, now we just have uncomplicated sex."  
  
Xander's head hit the table again with a thump  
  
"If your friend found them through reading a complete stranger why didn't you use him to locate them when they ran out on you? I mean, that's gotta be easier than just brooding and glowering about it, right?"  
  
Angel stared open mouthed at the matter of fact way the pretty brown haired girl spoke and Gunn jumped in "We thought about it, but a lot happened here and Lorne left town and we had a business to run and they said they'd left us for good. What was the point?"  
  
And we were too busy feeling sorry for ourselves and hating them to think that there might be somethin' more to it.  
  
He and Angel exchanged a quick embarrassed glance at the way they had moped around, drinking far too much and killing anything with fangs.  
  
Damn, it was a shame about that dog. That was one good-looking hound!  
  
Buffy frowned as a young boy poked his head over Angel's shoulder and peered inquisitively at the screen  
  
"Who's your friend?"  
  
Angel and Gunn started and both turned to peer at Connor and then Gunn shrugged and leaned back making it clear Angel was very much on his own. The vampire swallowed uneasily and visibly braced himself before looking into the camera  
  
"Buffy this is my son, Connor. Connor, this is Buffy. The Vampire Slayer."  
  
Connor frowned and tilted his head to one side clearly puzzled by the people he could see on the screen. His father and the others had spent a long time explaining to him that the people he could see on the television weren't real and now they were calmly sitting around talking to them like they were there in the room. He gave a slight mental shrug  
  
Oh well  
  
"Hello."  
  
In Sunnydale the atmosphere was electric as the Scoobs stared dumbstruck at the screen. Buffy felt unable to move as she absorbed Angel's words and her skin tingled as it alternately went from hot to cold  
  
"Yo.your son?"  
  
Angel nodded clearly uncomfortable  
  
"Yes. My son."  
  
Dawn looked at her older sister and took in her white complexion and the fine tremors that shook her body she leaned forward again drawing Angel's attention  
  
"Like, your adopted son right? You found him and took him home. Like a puppy, huh?"  
  
Angel shook his head  
  
"No, my real son."  
  
Slience again until finally Giles broke it with a soft  
  
"Good Lord!"  
  
Anya rolled her eyes and turned to him  
  
"Does that actually help at all when you say that? I have to tell you I, personally, find it very irritating."  
  
Angel reached a hand towards the screen and said  
  
"Buffy, I."  
  
The Slayer shook her head  
  
"Angel, it's ok, you don't have to explain. The important thing now is that we find Willow and the others. What do you want to do?"  
  
The vampire hesitated for a moment and then nodded  
  
"Lorne's heading back on the first flight he can get. He wouldn't tell me where they are just that he's sent someone he trusts to find them and help them if he can. When he gets here we'll contact you again. Can we count on you?"  
  
Buffy nodded sharply suddenly all business  
  
"Absolutely, whatever you need. If Willow's in danger we don't stop until we find her."  
  
Connor looked worried and spoke hesitantly  
  
"And Cordelia and Fred. We'll find them too, right?"  
  
Buffy opened her mouth to reply and then shut it again and looked, really looked, at the young boy on the screen. He looked so young and so lost and a lot like Dawn when their mother had died. Her hand crept out and she closed her fingers around Dawn's squeezing lightly as she looked solemnly into Connor's eyes  
  
"Connor, I will do whatever it takes to bring them home alive and well. All of them."  
Vermont  
Lindsey scowled through his windscreen and glanced irritably at the map beside him. He'd touched down four hours before and had immediately made his way to the girl's last known location.  
  
Of course they were nowhere to be found but he was able to find out what had happened to the men they had fought when Lorne had stumbled on them and had managed to finangle his way into the local goal to speak with one of them. According to the man with the black eye and broken arm, he and his six friends had been minding their own business in the deserted motel car park when three slim women had come out of nowhere and brutally attacked them.  
  
Lindsey had stood and listened for nearly ten minutes as the would be kidnapper spouted enough BS to fertilise three large fields and then had asked the supervising guard for a glass of water. As soon as the door had started to close behind him Lindsey had leaned across the table and clasped the man around the back of the head and sharply brought his head forward to smack into the table. Ignoring the cry of pain from his prey he had leaned in close and snarled  
  
"Listen to me, you son of a bitch. I don't care what stupid ass story you've fed Cletus the slack jawed yokel there but I'm not buying it. Now tell me what happened, why you want them and who's paying you."  
  
He lifted the man's head by his hair and smashed it into the table again for good measure  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
Lindsey sighed and, with one eye on the door, bounced the man's head again. The crack was louder this time and he winced as he saw a trickle of blood seep out from under the man's face  
  
So much for doing this subtly  
  
"Not going to happen. Tell me."  
  
He pressed down and smiled coldly at the groan of pain as he ground the man's face into the scarred wood  
  
"Tell me."  
  
The man began to babble and Lindsey listened and when the guard came back into the room he was standing by the door wiping his hands on the seat of his jeans. He winked and took the grubby glass of water from the guard as he stared open mouthed at the bleeding prisoner huddled on the chair  
  
"I think he's hurt worse than you thought. Kept having fits and banging his head on the table. Might need a CAT scan."  
  
He lifted the guards arm and wrapped his loose fingers around the glass  
  
"Well, I have to go now. Thanks for your help."  
  
He edged round the guard and strode briskly down the hall his mind racing with what he'd learnt. He sent a brief smile to the over weight, bubble popper behind the front desk as he hit the lobby and hit the front door running. He had to find Cordelia and the others, fast!  
LA  
Lorne grinned into the web cam on top of the desk and waved cheerily  
  
"The Slayer, and so much less butch than your rep suggests. Gotta say, hon, the fragile Miss Muffet look is so working for you."  
  
Buffy eyed the green skinned demon warily  
  
"Um, thank you. Lorne is it?" Lorne nodded affably  
  
"The one and only. Now, what say you and I have a little pow-wow about the mess our girls are in?"  
  
Buffy nodded  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
The demon rolled his eyes "Now, sweetie, if I knew exactly where they were I would have just called Angelcakes and sent him to get them. It's not that simple. That's the trouble with you destiny types; all smite 'n' justice and no planning. The question isn't where are they, it's why are they?"  
  
Buffy frowned and said warily  
  
"This isn't a Zen thing is it? 'Cos I've never been that great with those."  
  
Lorne laughed and leaned forward  
  
"No, sweetie. I mean that we need to find out why they took off and why they didn't tell their loved ones all about the 'Thelma and Louise' thing they got going on. Have you got someone on your team with some basics in the magic arts?"  
  
Buffy nodded  
  
"Yeah, but."  
  
Lorne held up a hand  
  
"Go get 'em. Tell them to bring the ingredients for a revealing spell. We got a little bibbity, bobbity, boo to do."  
Connor took a deep breath and compared the number on the door to the slip of paper in his hand. He nodded to himself and raised his hand and gave a brief knock glancing uneasily over his shoulder as he did so. If his father knew he was here he would kill him. He was about to raise his hand to knock again when he heard the sound of a bolt being released on the other side of the door and then he was staring into a haunted face with bitter brown eyes. He let his gaze drift to the angry red scar at the man's throat and then lifted his eyes to meet the man's again  
  
"Wesley Wyndham-Price? My name is Connor. I need your help."  
  
Wesley stared at him for a moment and then stepped back to let him pass. With a last glance behind him Connor stepped through the door and it closed with a soft click behind him.  
  
End of Part 3. 


	4. Over The Next Horizon 4

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Part 4a.  
Fred twisted in terror and panic against the hands that held her as she watched her family burn. The smell of burning flesh and the sounds of anguished screams echoed in her ears as she sobbed frantically. Lilah Morgan stepped forward and shook her head in mock sorrow  
  
"It's your fault. If you'd just been a bit quicker, that little bit more clever, then they'd be alive. You could have saved them."  
  
Fred watched as Gunn fell to the floor and writhed in pain as he died. The skin peeled from his skull in blackened lumps and his eyes were fixed beseechingly on her as he stretched out a hand  
  
"Charles, Charles!"  
  
She sat bolt upright, awakened by her own screams and shook as the cold sweat trickled down her body. She pressed her hands into the mattress and gulped in the cold night air and desperately tried to reorient herself in the dim glow of the motel sign outside the window. She pulled the not quite clean blanket up to her chin and shivered as she forced the horrifying images of her boyfriend's death away from her. A month since she'd seen him and the nightmares were worse than ever. She'd started having them the first night away and they'd gotten progressively worse the longer she was gone. Slowly she leaned back until her head nestled on the pillow grateful that, this time, her scream hadn't brought Willow and Cordy running. Her hand crept under the pillow for the reassuring dagger that she habitually slept with ever since an enterprising hunter had broken into her room one night a couple of weeks ago. The smooth bone handle comforted her like a soft toy would a child and she sighed and forced her body to relax, willing sleep to come again. Her thoughts drifted as she tried to doze and she unwillingly went back to the worst night of her life so far, unconsciously scowling as Lilah Morgan's face appeared before her eyes.  
"Then I say the word and they die tonight."  
  
Fred felt the quick hard tremor that ran through Cordy at the lawyer's words and clamped her lips together to stop the wail of protest and fear that rose up in her throat. She waited for the seer to make the next move, confident that Cordelia would have something, anything, to stop Lilah dead in her tracks. The silence stretched unbearably and then, just when Fred thought she'd snap if the standoff continued any longer, Cordelia spoke  
  
"Alright. We'll do it."  
  
Fred gasped and felt the red head next to her tense with surprise at Cordelia's words but they both remained silent as the former May Queen continued  
  
"We'll do it, but if anything happens to any of our people I will kill you."  
  
Lilah smirked  
  
"Empty threats, babe. Empty threats."  
  
Cordelia took three quick paces forward until she was nose to nose with the older woman. She stared into surprised eyes and said levelly  
  
"You think?"  
  
Lilah swallowed uneasily at the calm eyes boring into her own and was conscious of the looks of her men and of Cordelia's girls as the seer calmly challenged her. The lawyer tried for a light laugh  
  
"Don't threaten me, Ms. Chase, I make a powerful enemy."  
  
Cordelia raised one shaped eyebrow and replied  
  
"Right back atcha."  
  
She held Lilah's gaze for another few moments and then stepped back  
  
"Ok, let's get this thing moving."  
  
She glanced back at her two friends and frowned as she looked at Willow. A bruise was shaping over her left eye and a livid welt poked out above her collar  
  
"But first, who hurt Willow?"  
  
Lilah looked at the red headed witch and shrugged  
  
"Does it matter? Shouldn't you be focusing on more important things like getting out of town before the sun rises? You know, preventing your friends dying horribly?"  
  
Cordelia let her eyes drift over the men standing around the edge of the hut and allowed a cold smile to drift onto her face  
  
"Yeah, we'll get to that. In the meantime, who hurt my friend?"  
  
Willow stepped forward  
  
"Cordy, don't worry about it. Let's just do what we have to and get out of here."  
  
Cordelia warmed up the smile as she glanced briefly at her friend and then allowed the ice to creep back into it as she stared at the men again  
  
"Willow, I do worry about it. And I'm not leaving here until the guy, or guys, that did this admit it."  
  
Silence fell and then, slowly, three men stepped forward, arrogantly staring down at the much smaller woman. Cordelia placed her hands on her hips once more and scanned them  
  
"Ok, drop your guns and let's get this over with. I'm on a schedule here."  
  
The three men exchanged confused looks and then looked to Lilah for guidance. The woman flicked her eyes between Cordelia and the hired muscle and then said with relish  
  
"Do as she says. Obviously a lesson needs to be learned here."  
  
Fred took Willow firmly by the arm and moved her to the side leaving Cordelia with a wide space in which to work. Willow pulled her arm from Fred's grip and started back to Cordelia  
  
"What are you, nuts? Cordelia, stop it. You don't have to do this."  
  
Fred grasped her arm again and pulled her back as the men separated and began to circle the seer  
  
"Yes, she does."  
  
She saw Cordelia roll her shoulders loosely to prepare for the fight and whispered  
  
"Watch."  
  
Willow focused on her friend and felt her jaw drop as Cordelia spun and kicked out kicking the nearest threat in the face and dropping him to the floor. She used the momentum from her kick to carry her around and then ducked a swing from the man behind her, elbowing him sharply in the groin as she crouched. The girl uncurled gracefully and brought her arm up fast keeping her hand flat and driving her palm with uncompromising force into the third man's nose. He screamed as his nose broke and blood poured from his nostrils. Cordelia moved swiftly past him to duck behind her first opponent who was climbing to his feet and pulled his arm sharply up and behind his back. She pushed forward and he toppled face first onto the floor, breaking her second nose of the night, and she planted her boot on his face to keep him down. She locked eyes with Lilah and then raised her other leg and kicked out at the man's straightened arm hitting perfectly against his rigid elbow. The snap echoed in the stunned silence and then the man began to scream as Cordelia stepped back and allowed his arm to fall giving a brief glimpse of the bone that had been forced through the skin.  
  
She pushed her hair back casually and then reached down and hauled the second man, still clutching himself on the floor, to his feet. Her torso twisted and then her elbow slammed into his face and another wet snap was heard. Fred smiled  
  
"Three for three."  
  
Cordelia let him go and watched him drop to the floor and then moved to the first broken nose. He tried to back away as he saw her approach but Cordelia was too fast. She spun and kicked him in the stomach and then when he fell, snatched up his leg and held it rigid. She grinned down at him  
  
"Never, never, touch what's mine again."  
  
She raised her foot and smashed it down onto his knee and broke his leg cleanly, dropping the limb as he began to join his comrade in the anguished screaming. Her attention switched to the man with the aching groin and shattered nose and he scrambled pitifully along the floor as she stalked towards him.  
  
She felt a stir of pity inside her at the stark terror in the man's eyes but then she thought of her friends, bound and helpless, and very calmly raised his arm and stamped down on his wrist, sending the bone shooting through the skin on the other side. She turned to Lilah  
  
"Lesson learned. Class dismissed."  
  
She straightened the sleeves of her top and walked back over to Willow and Fred adding dispassionately  
  
"You might wanna get that guy to a hospital. Looks like the bone nicked a vein on the way through."  
  
Fred nudged Willow as the redhead stared from the bodies on the floor to the serene look on Cordelia's face as she leaned casually against the wooden wall behind her. The witch's face was a study in amazement and confusion and she eyed Cordelia as though she had never seen her before. Then she realised that she really hadn't.  
  
The past three years she had carried a picture in her mind of the cheerleader she used to know, always concerned with appearances and popularity, and she had never given a thought to how the other girl might have changed since leaving Sunnydale  
  
"Willow, you look like a hayseed seeing the bright lights for the first time. Can we close the mouth and look a little less dumbstruck?"  
  
Ok, so not changed beyond all recognition but, still, definitely grown.  
  
Cordelia ignored the guns now pointed, slightly shakily, her way and nodded to Lilah almost cordially  
  
"Ok, I'm all set. When do we leave?"  
  
Lilah forced her eyes away from the three men lying in agony in their own blood on the floor and swallowed as she gestured behind her. One of the nameless minions stepped forward and handed her a bag and she reached inside to draw out a sealed pack of writing paper and envelopes. Cordelia smirked  
  
"Well, you really have thought of everything haven't you? What are they vacuum packed so Angel won't smell your scent on them?"  
  
Lilah nodded as she handed the paper gingerly to Willow  
  
"Of course."  
  
Cordy's heart sank and she managed to keep her face expressionless  
  
Goddamn it!  
  
They all took a sheet of paper and stared blankly at them for a few moments until Willow sighed  
  
"Well, it's not gonna get any easier from looking at them."  
  
The other two girls exchanged grim looks and then bent over the table that had been set up before them and picked up a pen each. Cordelia was the first to touch the pen to the paper and then Fred and Willow followed. There was silence for almost ten minutes in the hut and then the three girls straightened and wordlessly held out the papers to Lilah. The lawyer came closer until she could just read the handwriting, making sure she kept well away from all contact. She glanced over them then began to read aloud in a mocking tone of voice.  
  
Angel,  
  
It's been coming on for a while but I thought I could ignore it, I'm sorry I can't. Ever since I came back to this dimension I've felt smothered and out of control but I know what I have to do now. I'm leaving and before you go all Angelus and start freaking, please understand that this is what I want. What I thought was between us last these last few months was nothing more than gratitude on my part for showing me my true path in life. I know that this will hurt but I need to leave and make my own way and use my power the way it should be used. If I stay in LA, I'll never be anything more than your sidekick and I want so much more than that. I'll always care about you but I can't stay with you and carry on the way things are. My power is too great to be confined to the petty battles you fight and I need to be out in the world fighting the true fight. I hope you can understand. Kiss Connor for me and say goodbye to the guys.  
  
Cordelia.  
  
Lilah laughed mockingly  
  
"Well, that'll hit where it hurts."  
  
Cordelia stared back without expression, refusing to let the other woman know how much she was hurting inside. Fred straightened her spine as Lilah moved onto her note to Gunn  
  
"Charles,  
  
I know this is the coward's way but I couldn't face saying goodbye and explaining myself to you. I'm leaving and I don't want you to look for me. This last year has been very difficult for me and I've finally had to admit to myself how I feel. I'm in love with Wesley and I think I have been since the moment I saw him. When he took Connor I was angry but I also felt betrayed by him that he couldn't trust me. I realise now that the anger I felt towards him wasn't of a friend betrayed but as lover. I know that we can never be together, too much has happened for that, but it's too hard being in the same city day after day and being around everyone at the hotel who just remind me of what I can't have. I'm sorry that I've hurt you but I can't go on living like this. I hope you can forgive me one day  
  
Fred"  
  
Lilah wiped an imaginary tear from her eye and sniffed  
  
"Really it's just too much. I can hardly bear it."  
  
Fred narrowed her eyes and fought back tears as she hissed  
  
"Bite me."  
  
Cordelia smiled in admiration at her shyer friend's spirit and then she tensed as the lawyer bent forward to read Willow's letter  
  
"Guys,  
  
I'm going on a road trip and I don't know when I'll be back. It's too hard being around you all, especially Buffy, when Tara has gone. The constant fighting and danger has finally been too much and I have to get out. I don't know whether I'll come back and I don't know whether I'll ever be able to feel the way about you all that I did before but I really need the time to myself to figure it out. Don't worry about me and keep safe  
  
Willow"  
  
She raised her eyebrow  
  
"Short and to the point."  
  
Willow shrugged  
  
"They won't come looking. They'll respect my decision."  
  
Lilah studied her for a moment and then nodded shortly  
  
"Fine. Outside is a truck. In the cab you'll find money and a bag each with a couple changes of clothing and some toiletries. In a manilla envelope in the glove box is all the information we have on the Light and the road to it. We'll follow you to the hotel and to a post box so you can drop off your little notes and then you'll have an escort out of town. I expect you to contact me every forty-eight hours at 11pm to update me on your situation. If you are more than five minutes late for the check-in then I will give the word and your little pals go up in smoke. If I get a hint that Angel or the Slayer know what's going on then, poof! Are we clear?"  
  
Cordelia nodded and stepped forward, grinning as Lilah took a hurried step back to prevent any scent falling onto the paper that the seer held before her  
  
"You'd better hope they stay alive. If I think for one minute they're not alive and kicking demon ass I'll come back here and kick yours. You got me?"  
  
She stepped back and nodded to her friends  
  
"Let's go."  
  
The next two hours were the most emotionally painful Fred had ever experienced. The first stop was the hotel and running quickly and silently into the lobby, praying Angel or Connor wouldn't hear them. Next, Willow's note was dropped into the nearest mailbox and they were trailed to the city limits and then they were, finally, on their own.  
  
Fred sat silently in the back of the large plush truck and watched the lights of LA disappear behind them as Cordelia floored the gas. She sat in stunned, heartbroken silence as Cordelia and Willow stared tensely out of the windscreen and pictured the boys as they found the notes in the morning. The hurt and confusion they would feel would be too much, she closed her eyes as tears leaked out and then gasped as Cordelia swung from the road and pulled into a roadside used car dealership.  
  
Ten minutes later she sat in the back of a considerably less plush vehicle clenching her jaw in a vague attempt to safeguard her teeth from the nonexistent suspension and clutching six thousand dollars in used bills. Cordelia drove another few miles in angry silence and then, when the sun was high in the sky, swung off to a roadside diner.  
  
"Let's go get something to eat."  
  
She slammed out of the truck without waiting for an answer and marched through the swing doors without looking back. Willow turned and smiled gently at the dark haired girl behind her  
  
"Cm'on, we'll feel better if we eat."  
  
She reached back and squeezed Fred's loose hands gently and swung her door open. Fred watched her and then moved slowly to join her on the ground. Willow smiled again and put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze  
  
"Cm'on."  
  
She gently led Fred to the diner and gave a weak giggle  
  
"I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Willow and I'll be sharing your worst nightmare."  
  
When the three girls were settled and had ordered coffee and breakfast, although Cordelia privately had her doubts about Willow and coffee, they sat in miserable silence until Fred said softly "I can't believe we have to do this. I've left Charles and we have to help bring a demon into the world. I can't believe they won." "Excuse me?"  
  
Fred looked up into two shocked faces. Willow lowered her eyebrows and said  
  
"They what now?"  
  
Fred frowned back in confusion  
  
"They won. We have to go and do their evil bidding. Y'all remember that, right?"  
  
Cordelia and Willow exchanged incredulous looks and then Cordy said firmly  
  
"We are doing no such thing! Fred, how could you even think that?" "But.but."  
  
Cordelia leaned back as her coffee and English muffin was placed reverently in front of her by a moon eyed bus boy and then waited until he had walked slowly away before resuming  
  
"Fred, we aren't doing anything of the kind. We ditched the probably- bugged-to-the- roof truck and picked up the Clampett's boneshaker for a reason, not just to make some dumbass beatnik statement." "But.but you said."  
  
Cordy rolled her eyes impatiently  
  
"Fred, get a grip!"  
  
Willow placed her hand on the young Texan's arm  
  
"Fred, we bought us some time. You didn't really think we're gonna go through with the whole stealing the Light of Good thing did you?"  
  
Fred took a deep centring breath and tried to keep a tight grip on her sanity as it twisted and tried to break loose from her tenuous hold  
  
"They're going to kill them if we don't do what they say."  
  
Cordelia's gaze softened as she listened to the pitch of hysteria in the normally melodic voice and she spoke in a low comforting tone  
  
"No they aren't, honey, because we aren't going to let them. We are going to go through the motions and we're going to look for this damn Light thingy because, if all else fails, we can use it to bargain with but we are not going to run around the country at the Lilah bitch's beck and call. Never, and I cannot stress this enough, gonna happen. Ever."  
  
Fred gripped the edge of the table with both hands and watched as the tension turned her knuckles bone white. When she felt she could speak without stammering or sobbing she raised her eyes and stared into Cordelia's  
  
"It's not?"  
  
Willow rubbed a gentle hand on Fred's shoulder and slurped thankfully on her coffee putting the outsize cup back onto the table as she caught Cordelia's gimlet eye  
  
"Sweetie, no! We bargain with the bad guys and we let them think they got game and then we trample all over their skanky asses and feed them to Buffy for tea."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes and deftly snagged Willow's coffee, moving it out of sight, and reach, onto the seat beside her  
  
"That's it I'm cutting you off. Can we say de-caff, Willow?"  
  
She re-focused on Fred  
  
"Honey, you've known me for a couple of years now. When was the last time I jumped to do an evil big bad's bidding?"  
  
Fred shook her head  
  
"Never."  
  
Cordelia smiled  
  
"Exactly. And I'm not starting now. All Lilah Morgan has managed to do is tip us off to the next apocalypse and how to stop it. We have time and we have resources and we are not going to run our butts off for her just because she thinks she has something on us." "We.we're not?"  
  
Cordelia grinned her infamous 'kiss my ass' grin, last used when Angel found out she'd supplemented her winter wardrobe from the company credit card, and pushed back her floppy bangs  
  
"Nope. We'll do some work on the tracking thingy but the first thing we do is get you guys a lap top and find a way to track down the guy who cast that spell. Willow, any thoughts?"  
  
The red head looked up from sipping discreetly at Fred's coffee and sighed as Cordelia snatched that out of her hand also  
  
"Watcher's database. There won't be many casters in the world with enough power for that big a spell over that many people. We can narrow it down from there."  
  
Cordelia nodded  
  
"Good thinking. Fred, I need you to get to work translating that stuff in the truck and working on the first clue. Willow, I also need you to find a way into Wolfram and Hart's database and get me anything they have on the guys and us. I want to make sure there's no way we can contact our people without tipping off the bad guys before we disappear for good. Also get me a list of all the surveillance techniques they're using and let's see if we can use something there."  
  
Willow raised her eyebrows in stunned admiration  
  
"Cordy, what happened to you? First you're, like, all Buffyfied and then you've turned into Giles. What's going on with you?"  
  
Cordelia gave a smug grin  
  
"Will, you know how I used to say I was so superior in high school and so much better than all of you?"  
  
Willow nodded warily  
  
"Well, turns out I was right! Cool, huh?"  
  
Willow spluttered  
  
"Wh.what?"  
  
Fred smiled at the horrified look on the red head's face and said gently  
  
"She's a higher being."  
  
Incredulous green eyes swung round to stare at Fred and then back to Cordelia as she grinned in genuine amusement at her friend's reaction. Fred continued in the kind of voice normally used for small children and Xander  
  
"She's a higher being. You know like better or something, right Cordy?"  
  
Willow gaped at Fred as the girl spoke slowly and clearly to her and then managed to stammer  
  
"Yo.you're a God?"  
  
Cordelia laughed  
  
"Nooo. Just better than you!"  
  
She laughed again at the look on Willow's face and leant forward saying lightly  
  
"Kidding! Chill, Willow, its no biggy. I got demonised to help Angel and I got some optional extras that's all. The Powers tried to put me to work in another dimension but it turned out I was needed here more so I came back."  
  
She shrugged lightly  
  
"Absolutely no worship required. I'm very low maintenance these days."  
  
She looked back at Fred and said firmly  
  
"We have no choice in having to leave town but don't ever think that just because the lawyer bitch has something over us that we're gonna crumble. Willow and I have been dealing with this stuff ever since we turned sixteen and it takes a lot more than threatening our friends to turn us into fake evil toadies. Right, Will?"  
  
Willow nodded emphatically and pushed aside her astonishment at the whole higher being thing  
  
"Absolutely. For world savage, no-one does it better."  
  
She smiled at Cordelia and was startled to see the other girl aim a soft, misty-eyed grin back at her as untold nights of battling evil and trying to study at the same time were remembered and continued  
  
"And I think under the circumstances we can vote in a new Scoob."  
  
Cordelia laughed delightedly and swigged back the last of her coffee as Fred said  
  
"What's a Scoob?" "We are. Well, me, Cordy, Xander, Giles, Buffy, Anya, Dawn and... Spike, I guess."  
  
The last name was spoken doubtfully but Willow rallied admirably  
  
"It's the name of the Sunnydale Protection Squad and once in never out. We fight the forces of dark and never surrender to evil and we get the Slayer's back when she takes on the big bad."  
  
Cordelia interrupted  
  
"And we keep an eye on Willow and coffee. Jeez, Willow, you're not fifteen anymore. De-caff!"  
  
Willow blushed and Cordelia picked up the check and opened her wallet to pay as she continued  
  
"Normally you only get in when you date a Scoob but I think in this case we can waive that clause unless you and Willow wanna."  
  
She grinned at Willow's outraged expression  
  
"No? Ok then, we just use our votes as two of the original members to get you in. All in favour?"  
  
She waved her own hand cursorily in the air and Willow enthusiastically did the same nearly taking the bus boy's eye out with her caffeine-fuelled limb. Cordelia rolled her eyes  
  
"Motion carried. Welcome to the Scooby gang, please check your dignity and average life expectancy at the door."  
  
Fred laughed, uplifted by the other girls casual attitude to their predicament and their easy confidence in their eventual victory over their enemies  
  
"Like I had that anyway! I lived in a cave for five years and then I met y'all and demons try to kill me on a daily basis."  
  
Cordy swung an arm over her friend's shoulder  
  
"We wanted you to feel one of the family." "I can't tell y'all how much I appreciate it."  
  
Cordelia laughed at the dry tone and shouldered her way out the door  
  
"We'll be back home before you know it. We've got a higher being, the biggest brainiac on two legs and a kick ass Wicca on our team, this will be easy."  
  
Fred heard an uneasy clearing of a throat behind them as Willow said  
  
"Yeah. Um, Cordy, about that whole Wicca thing?"  
End of Part 4a. 


	5. Over The Next Horizon 5

Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Part 4b.  
  
Somewhere in Hicksville.  
  
Lindsey scowled at the old man before him  
  
"Look, are they here or not?"  
  
The small, balding guy before him shrugged his eyes glued to the paper spread before him  
  
"Couldn't say. Might be, might not."  
  
Briefly wishing he still lacked a conscience Lindsey reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet  
  
"Look, I need to find my sister and her friends quickly. Maybe this'll help you remember."  
  
He slid a twenty dollar bill across the counter and tapped his booted foot impatiently as the man stared at the bill and then raised two rheumy blue eyes to the ones that shone like blue diamonds at him  
  
"Son, that ain't gonna help me remember my own name let alone your sister's."  
  
Lindsey felt his skin flush under the amused gaze of the motel owner and the tenuous hold he had on his temper slipped. He reached out and took a firm grip on the man's shirt collar jerking him closer so they were face to face  
  
"Quit trying to play me and tell me what I need to know otherwise I get nasty..."  
  
He froze as he heard a scream rip through the night air and the man stared at him with suddenly frightened eyes. Lindsey turned and ran for the door reaching under his denim coat for the small pistol he habitually carried these days, yelling over his shoulder  
  
"I'll be back. Don't be here if they aren't ok!"  
  
The door flew open under his hand and he disappeared into the night, leaving the shaken man behind him.  
LA  
Wesley gestured at the only unloaded chair in the place  
  
"Sit down."  
  
Connor sank slowly onto the hard dining chair and looked around him. Every available surface was covered with papers and books and the whole place stunk of stale alcohol and rotting food. He turned his attention back to the alcohol ravaged human before him "Have you been ill?"  
  
Wesley looked around his apartment and winced as he realised what a mess it was. His days were largely taken up with research and drinking himself into a stupor and he couldn't honestly remember when he had last picked up after himself. He blinked, realising that the boy was looking at him expectantly and he had no idea why. Connor frowned  
  
"I said, are you ill?" "Oh. No I.I've just been a bit..."  
  
He pressed a hand unconsciously to his throat as the still healing scar tissue rebelled at the first sounds to leave his mouth for over a week. Connor studied him for a moment and then stood and walked into the kitchen to hunt up a reasonably clean glass. Finding none he took a dusty teacup from the counter and ran it under the tap quickly and then filled it with cold water. He walked back to Wesley and held it out  
  
"Here, this will help."  
  
Wesley felt a slow flush creep up his skin at the quiet voice and wordlessly took the cup and drained its contents. The cool water hit his stomach like a tidal wave and he blinked as his entire system balked at the first liquid he had consumed in three months with no alcohol in it. He broke out in a cold sweat as he felt the half a bottle of scotch he had already drunk that evening jump in his stomach and he had just enough time to turn from Connor before he threw up all over the floor. Connor watched him impassively as he gripped the dining table as he heaved and then, when he had finished, took his arm in a firm grip  
  
"Where's your bathroom?"  
  
Wesley managed to gesture with his other hand and the young boy slipped his other arm around the man's waist  
  
"Come on. You need to get cleaned up."  
  
Sunnydale  
  
Spike woke with a start and sat up staring down at himself in horror and amazement  
  
"What the bloody hell?"  
  
From head to toe he was enveloped in a deep purple aura that shimmered with veins of the deepest black. He swung out of his bed and brushed frantically at his naked body trying to sweep the colour away.  
  
"Bleedin' hell! What the hell's goin' on?"  
  
The colours remained stubbornly clinging to him and after an amusing few minutes of dancing around his crypt trying to shake his new all over glow he grabbed a pair of black jeans from the floor and a grubby white t-shirt. Scowling and cursing the whole while he stamped his feet into his boots and grabbed his leather duster from the back of his broken-down armchair. Flinging open the door to his crypt he stormed out into the night heading for the one place he knew he'd get answers.  
LA, five minutes earlier.  
Lorne grinned at the faces assembled before him. Gunn and Angel looked nervously at the containment circle at their feet and then back at their green skinned friend  
  
"I still don't see why this is necessary or how it's helping. I just want to get on with tracking them down."  
  
Lorne waved an impatient hand in dismissal  
  
"Sssh, Angelcakes. I need all my senses for this little piece of mojo and you jawing on ain't helping."  
  
The vampire looked deeply offended and frowned  
  
"I don't jaw."  
  
His frown deepened as he was shushed again and Lorne stared down once more at the piece of paper in his hand  
  
"Ok. Here's hoping I'm reading this right, otherwise you two will end up greener than I am."  
  
Gunn blanched and swallowed uncertainly  
  
"Lorne, man, if you ain't sure of what you're doin' then maybe we'd better hold off until you know what you got goin' on." "Pfft."  
  
Lorne waved another dismissive hand and then chanted a few unintelligible words under his breath, he grasped the paper he held and tore it into four equal pieces and threw it into the circle around Gunn and Angel  
  
"Reveala!"  
  
All three men shouted with surprise as a blinding flash shot from the circle and then faded as abruptly. Lorne lowered his hand from his eyes slowly and stared at the vampire and the human and then down at himself  
  
"Well, I wasn't expecting that."  
  
He looked over to the laptop where it sat perched on the countertop and felt his jaw drop as five equally stunned, and purple, faces stared back at him  
  
"Well, aren't we just the cutest little band of hex-ees you ever did see."  
  
Angel stared in amazement at the flashes of purple and black that shot over his arm and slowly felt the rage begin to build within. Someone had cursed him. Someone had cursed him and taken Cordelia away from him. Someone had cursed him, taken Cordelia away from him and had forced Fred away too. Someone was going to die.  
  
Across town.  
  
"AAAH!"  
  
Wesley shot backwards in his chair and tipped over on his ass as Connor glowed a sudden violent purple.  
  
"AAAH! AAAHH!"  
  
He scrambled up and away on trembling limbs waving equally shaky hands. Connor, looking equally surprised but taking it considerably better, also stood and backed away from the table eyeing the screaming Englishman warily  
  
"Wesley, calm down, it's alright. Look, you're doing it too."  
  
Wesley looked down at himself in horror  
  
"AAAAAHHH!"  
  
Connor rolled his eyes in exasperation and silently promised himself he would never touch alcohol if this is what it did to you  
  
"Wesley, calm down!"  
  
The older man swallowed and shook his aching head  
  
"Sorry.I.I wasn't expecting..that is I..."  
  
He stared down at his glowing skin  
  
"Oh dear Lord!"  
Sunnydale.  
  
"Slayer!"  
  
Spike flung open the door that led out of the training room and into the main floor of the shop  
  
"Slayer! What the..fuckin' hell!"  
  
The Scoobs swung round to meet the raging vampire and all stared at him as he came to a grinding halt by the counter his eyes bugging out of his head. Dawn was the first one too break the stunned silence  
  
"Spike! You're all..I mean.."  
  
She broke off and then started giggling helplessly  
  
"Your hair! It's pink!"  
  
The vampire looked startled and raised a hand to his head  
  
"What? No its not!"  
  
Xander snorted and then pointed a mocking finger  
  
"You have pink hair!"  
  
Spike growled and tried to pull a short, and violently pink, lock down to look at it, rolling his eyes fruitlessly in his head to catch a glimpse. Dawn giggled again at his contortions and moved forward to place a placating hand on his arm  
  
"It's ok. It'll wear off soon."  
  
Spike gave up trying to look at the top of his own head and dropped an absent kiss on her forehead as he snarled at the rest of the gang  
  
"Would any of you idiots like to tell me what the bollocking hell is going on here?"  
  
Buffy turned and looked at Giles, raising her eyebrows enquiringly. The older man watched Spike for a moment with an unreadable expression and then gave his Slayer a short nod. Buffy turned back to the vampire  
  
"You'd better take a seat. This could take a while."  
  
Hicksville.  
  
Fred writhed in the grip of the two men that held her and watched with wide eyes as Cordelia took another heavy blow to the face. The seer's head rocked back but her face remained calm and focused as she pivoted smoothly and planted one small foot in her opponent's face. She followed through on the kick and when she was facing in the opposite direction sprinted forward and jumped lightly onto the hood of a car. She leapt onto the roof and jumped lightly again, avoiding the wild grab of a heavily built man on the other side of the vehicle and then continued on until she flew through the air once more to land on the roof of their own truck  
  
"Fred, hang on, I'm coming!"  
  
Cordelia rolled over the roof and as she dropped to the floor grabbed her axe from the open driver's window. She landed on her feet and ducked as yet another large and heavy man made a grab for her  
  
"Will you people just give up!"  
  
She slammed the handle of the axe into the man's stomach and then as he folded over with a pained expulsion of air rolled over his back and hit the floor running on the other side.  
  
"Willow! How ya doin'?"  
  
The red head swung her baseball bat and winced as it cracked against an unprotected skull and the man dropped like a stone  
  
"Ok!"  
  
She squeaked as another form appeared before her and drew back her bat for another swing but before she started to bring it down on the man his legs were kicked from under him and a smaller shape stretched up and smashed a length of two by four onto the back of his skull  
  
"Go help your friend!"  
  
The open mouthed girl swivelled as a young, dark haired man shot past her and into the dim light of the parking lot and then abruptly shook her head. Introductions of dark haired saviours later, beating the crap out of Fred's captors now. Her mouth straightened in a grim line and she broke into a run clutching her bat firmly. Boy, was she gonna do some beating.  
  
Cordelia backed away form the four men who stalked her in a loose line and flicked her eyes from one to the other.  
  
All huge, all ugly and all armed. Just another night in the exciting and glamorous world of Cordelia Chase.  
  
She allowed a cold smile to flick across her face  
  
"Who wants to die first?"  
  
The men appeared to hesitate and then as one moved forward to flank her on all sides  
  
Shit! Time to power up.  
  
Cordelia frowned as she opened her well of power and then jumped as a bellowing, unidentifiable shape appeared out of nowhere and took out two of her enemies with one hard tackle  
  
Ok, that's never happened before.  
  
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth she turned to the two temporarily distracted thugs that remained and cooed  
  
"Oh boys? Wanna play?"  
  
She made short work of the men left to her and then stepped back as she heard someone shout  
  
"Fall back, fall back!"  
  
She watched as the men that were on the floor were helped up by their less injured colleagues, in some cases carried, and then crossed to Willow and Fred to hug both girls briefly as their assailants piled into two vans and sped off  
  
"Everyone ok?"  
  
Fred nodded and rubbed absently at her wrists where livid red marks glowed against her pale skin  
  
"Uh-huh. What happened?"  
  
Cordy exchanged a slightly incredulous look with Willow and said dubiously  
  
"We won. I think." Willow nodded looking just as surprised  
  
"Yeah. We did."  
  
She blinked and looked around her  
  
"Where's dark, mysterious guy?"  
  
Cordelia turned and looked all around but there seemed to be no one left in the deserted car park  
  
"Hello? Superhero guy? You there?"  
  
They stood in silence for a few moments and Cordelia shrugged uneasily  
  
"He must have taken off."  
  
She spun on her heel as someone cleared their throat uncertainly behind her. Her eyes widened in disbelief and then she flung herself forward to push the man back onto the hood of a car and hold her axe to his throat  
  
"What the hell do you want?"  
  
Lindsey stared into furious black coffee eyes and croaked  
  
"Hello Cordelia."  
  
End of Part 4b. 


	6. Over The Next Horizon 6

Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or working for the dark side and life on the run. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: For everyone who kept mailing me with an interest in this story. Thank you. Jen, the most understanding beta in the world. Love ya babe. Ina, for cracking the whip and keeping me busy this summer. Mel, mutual admiration societies r us. Hurrah for naked Spike!  
  
Part 5.  
  
Spike stared around him at the now light mauve faces and wrinkled his brow  
  
"Let me get this straight. Red and a couple of Angel's girlies have gone missing. All of you have had your heads too far up your bums to notice and some demon saw them in some else's head bein' attacked?"  
  
He paused as five heads nodded in agreement  
  
"He told Angel, Angel told you and you all put your heads together and decided the best course of action was to dye us all purple?"  
  
Giles scowled  
  
"Of course not, don't be ridiculous. Lorne deduced there was a reason the girls had run off and figured that the most likely reason was that we were all being threatened or held over their heads in some way. We performed a simple revealing spell to see if we had any traces of dark or powerful magic on us and voila!"  
  
He waved an irritated hand through the air and Spike frowned  
  
"He dyed us all purple?"  
  
Buffy sighed  
  
"Keep up. We're purple because we've been cursed."  
  
Spike nodded slowly  
  
"Aah. And why am I being dragged into this again?"  
  
He turned and looked over his shoulder as a voice spoke behind him  
  
"Simple, my little Billy Idol wannabe, obviously someone thought that you were of some importance to the little red head and included you in the hex- fest. Lucky you huh?"  
  
Spike stared for a moment at the muddy brown face with the little horns beaming at him from the screen of the laptop  
  
"What the bleedin' hell are you?"  
  
Lorne looked offended at his tone  
  
"Well I can see the whole sucky personality issue isn't just a localised side effect for the one souled vamp. It's an across the board thing, huh?"  
  
Spike scowled deeply as he heard his grandsire's voice from off screen  
  
"Hey!" "Is that the poof?" Lorne nodded  
  
"Yup, he's busy brooding at the moment but I'm sure when he's pulled his thumb out from his butt he'll be only too happy to speak to you."  
  
Spike opened his mouth to deliver a scathing reply but before he could utter a word the demon disappeared from off screen and Angel's glowering face replaced it  
  
"Spike."  
  
Spike curled his upper lip and snarled  
  
"Poof."  
  
The two vampires eyed each other with mutual disdain  
  
"Still a big prancin' wanker then?" "Still chasing things you can't have, William?"  
  
Buffy stepped forward hurriedly  
  
"Ok, kinda chokin' on the testosterone here boys. Angel, be nice, Spike has a soul now remember? Spike, just be...not you for a few minutes, 'k?"  
  
Spike curled his lip  
  
"Twat." "Wannabe."  
  
Buffy scowled  
  
"Guys enough already. Our friends are missing and need our help and we're all under some kind of curse, get a grip!"  
  
She watched as Spike obligingly took his seat again and pretended not to see when he flipped Angel the bird. She was also struck temporarily blind when Angel returned the favour with the international gesture for 'dickhead'. Giles cleared his throat  
  
"Well, now we have some clue as to what led to the girls' disappearance, what do we intend to do about it?"  
  
Everyone turned back to face the laptop as Angel growled  
  
"We find whoever's done this and we kill them. All of them."  
  
Spike grinned mockingly  
  
"Well, well, look who's grown a pair in LA. Didn't think you had it in you."  
  
Angel's face turned away from the screen briefly and then everyone jumped as he howled "You bastard!" and lunged off screen. Buffy ran to the counter top and yelled frantically  
  
"Angel! Angel! Come back! Angel!"  
  
From off screen shouts and yells could be heard and then Lorne's face beamed uneasily out at them  
  
"Hi, we're going on a short break now, normal service will be resumed when we've drugged the big guy to the gills. Angel, not the window!"  
  
A loud crash was heard and then the screen cut out suddenly, Buffy turned to face the others  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
A Very Cheap Motel Room.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
Cordelia snarled the question and unwittingly echoed Buffy as she stared down at the man before her. Lindsey shifted uncomfortably on the bed and flexed his wrists in their bonds behind his back. He looked up into Cordelia's furious eyes and said dryly  
  
"You know, when someone saves your life it's traditional to buy them a drink and say thanks, not tie them up and interrogate them for hours in a smelly, roach infested motel room."  
  
Cordelia placed her hands on her hips  
  
"Oh excuse me born-again-boy, I didn't realise you were on the forty eight hours out of the year where you actually give a shit. And for the record, you didn't save my life; you merely shaved a few minutes off the stretch between me and dinner. 'K?"  
  
She turned and accepted the sweet smelling tea that Willow offered her and then almost bit through the mug when the other girl sat beside Lindsey and held an identical cup to his lips.  
  
"Willow, stay away from him."  
  
The red head glanced at the seer and said calmly  
  
"He's tired and thirsty and it wouldn't hurt you to be a little more accommodating."  
  
Cordelia spat tea over the floor  
  
"Accommodating? He's a prisoner. Hello? Am I the only one that gets that?"  
  
Willow nodded and said with just a hint of reproach  
  
"I get that. I just don't get why you're all 'Nazi Bitch From Hell' over it. He helped us and then we tied him up and let you rag on him for hours. I think he deserves a little courtesy."  
  
Lindsey dimpled at her  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes  
  
"I said courtesy, not roll out the welcome mat and slaughter a fatted calf. There's still the matter of blowing up Wesley, trying to drive Cordelia insane and raising Darla in a box to work through. I'm nicer than she is, I'm not stupid."  
  
Cordelia smirked as the redhead stood up and went to rejoin Fred on the opposite bed and Lindsey's face fell.  
  
"Hah."  
  
She took a long sip of tea and fixed her eyes on him as she swallowed  
  
"So tell me again why you're here?"  
  
Lindsey sighed and for what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour said  
  
"Lorne got a vision you were in danger and sent me to help you while he went to Angel. I'm your protector."  
  
Cordelia smirked and waved her hand mockingly towards him indicating the scratch at his throat from her axe and his bound hands  
  
"Good job." "Again I'll draw your attention to the saving of your life." "You did NOT save my..."  
  
They both paused as Fred spoke up from her cross-legged position on the bed  
  
"Will you two quit it? Cordelia, come and look at this."  
  
Cordelia sent one last poisonous look at the seriously disgruntled ex- lawyer and crossed to her friends to peer down at the laptop before her. On the screen was a full colour picture of Lorne on stage at Ellie's club and down on the right hand side was a smaller picture of Lindsey singing on the same stage. Cordelia swallowed suddenly a lot more worried, she looked at her two friends and Willow said sombrely  
  
"We may have a problem."  
  
The three girls turned back to look at Lindsey and he frowned as he took in their pale faces  
  
"What?"  
  
They continued to stare at him and then Fred reached out to lay a trembling hand on Cordelia's arm  
  
"I think he's on the level."  
  
The seer closed her eyes and summed up the situation in one fierce, succinct word  
  
"Shit."  
LA  
"What the hell were you thinking? Of all the hair brained, dumb ass, chuckle headed things to do. I'll tell you big guy sometimes I have to wonder how the hell you made it through the last two hundred and fifty years in one piece."  
  
Lorne dampened his cloth in the bowl of warm water at his side and then slapped the sodden cloth against the scowling vampires head and began to clean the long gash there uncaring of the pained wince or the low growl as Angel caught sight of the cause of his anger  
  
"Oh don't be such a baby."  
  
Angel's eyes flashed yellow as he glared around the Host's body and snarled at a nervous looking Wesley being cleaned up by Gunn and Connor. Lorne slapped the vampire briskly around the head  
  
"Stop it, he's here to help." "He took my son."  
  
Connor looked over at the pain and rage in the low voice and his eyes met the tortured gaze of his father for a second, their eyes held and then the young boy turned back to taping a cut on the Englishman's arm  
  
"Will you cut it out? He nearly died, you tried to smother him and now you've thrown him through a window, I think you're even."  
  
Lorne stepped back and eyed the slightly damp vampire  
  
"There, as good as new. Unfortunately."  
  
He rolled his eyes as Angel jumped to his feet and pushed past him intent on getting his former best friend the hell away from his son and ejecting him once and for all from his unlife. Gunn took a step but Connor beat him to it and calmly stepped in front of his father  
  
"If you touch him I'll leave and I'll never come back."  
  
Angel recoiled at the cool words and a look of hurt and betrayal came over his face. He raised his hand and pointed at the huddled form on the lobby couch  
  
"He's the reason you grew up in that hell. He's the reason we lost all those years. He's the reason you tried to bury me in a box at the bottom of the ocean for all eternity and now you're trying to defend him?"  
  
His voice cracked at the end of his impassioned speech and Connor's face softened briefly as he met the anguished eyes above him and then his mouth firmed and he straightened his shoulders  
  
"No, I'm not trying to defend him. I'm trying to keep him alive so he can be of use to us in finding Cordelia and Fred. That is what is important now."  
  
He gestured behind him and kept his eyes on his father as he said levelly  
  
"I will do what ever I have to if it means they come back alive and you should want to do the same. He is paying for what he did. When I found him he was so poisoned with alcohol and bitterness he could hardly stand. Smell him, smell the sickness."  
  
Angel sniffed the air and hid a wince at the sour smell of Wesley's flesh and sweat as the alcohol in his body worked its way around his bloodstream. He smelt the decay of a once fit body and he saw with his own eyes the decay months of abuse had caused. Connor continued in the same level tone  
  
"He's lost everything. His family and friends, his work, his purpose and most of all his dignity, he'll suffer for his actions until the end of his days."  
  
The boy took a breath and forced the next words out knowing how much they would hurt his parent  
  
"If you hurt him now then you really are the monster I always thought you were and there will never be any part of you I can call Father."  
  
Angel blinked in shock and reached out a hand imploringly to his son and said pleadingly  
  
"Connor, he took you away. Please."  
  
Connor remained silent and Angel spun away from him with what sounded suspiciously like a sob and headed for the stairs  
  
"Fine, he stays, but the minute we get the girls get back he's gone and I don't want to see him again."  
  
Connor turned to Lorne with wide eyes as his father disappeared around the top of the stairs and the green demon shrugged  
  
"Well, that could have gone better."  
  
He smiled at the boy's stricken expression  
  
"Don't sweat it hun, he'll come around."  
  
I hope  
Sunnydale  
Xander followed Giles as the older man went to the bathroom and snagged his sweater as he opened the door  
  
"Giles, I need a word."  
  
Giles turned with a pained expression  
  
"Can't it wait? I just need a moment."  
  
Xander shook his head and glanced over his shoulder making sure none of the others were in earshot  
  
"No, I think I've got an idea."  
  
He spoke in a low, rapid voice and Giles' impatient expression changed into one of cautious hope and, slightly hurtfully, shocked surprise  
  
"Good God, Xander I think you might have something there."  
  
The young dark haired man grinned  
  
"I have my moments."  
  
Giles shook his head slowly  
  
"I really think it might work."  
  
He shifted uncomfortably  
  
"Just give me a minute and we'll put it to the others."  
  
He turned to go into the bathroom and then stopped and looked over his shoulder saying seriously  
  
"You know every now and then you amaze me."  
  
He disappeared at speed behind the door and Xander leaned against the wall grinning goofily at the wall opposite  
  
"I know the feeling."  
End Part 5. 


	7. Over The Next Horizon 7

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Cordelia, Fred and Willow are on the run and have just been reluctantly joined by Lindsey. Angel, Gunn, Lorne and Connor are still in LA and have discovered there's more to the girls' disappearance than meets the eye and have informed the Scoobies. Everyone is angry and annoyed but most of all Spike, he's still pink. Oh, and Connor brought Wes to the hotel to help get the girls back and Angel threw him through a window. I think that's it. Rating: Overall an R I think? Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: As always to Jen, whose hard work and patience makes this so much easier for you guys to read and understand. Mel and Ina, who keep the feedback a comin' and keep making me laugh. And Ianthe, Vidya, Nage and aptomec(-?) who are big with the feedback and incredibly patient when I'm off on yet another jaunt round the Buffyverse and not finishing this fic. Thanks guys!  
  
Part 6a.  
  
Sunnydale.  
"Toth"  
  
Buffy turned to Spike  
  
"He called you a Toth. It means like moron or something." "Oi!"  
  
Giles lowered his glasses and glared at his Slayer  
  
"Buffy that joke wasn't funny the first time, kindly pay attention to the matter in hand."  
  
The small blonde grinned unrepentantly  
  
"Sorry, couldn't resist."  
  
Giles sniffed and pushed his glasses up his nose ignoring Spike's outraged expression  
  
"As I was saying, Toth. I take it you remember the demon that separated Xander two years ago?"  
  
Anya nodded enthusiastically  
  
"Yes, that was most exciting."  
  
Five pairs of eyes swung round to stare at her and she shrugged unembarrassed  
  
"What? I found it most enjoyable, although Giles was most unsympathetic when I requested delaying their reintegration. I believe he cost me a most entertaining night."  
  
Buffy and Dawn sniggered as Giles and Xander blushed a fiery red and Spike looked disgusted  
  
"Hey, demon-girl, just fed. Watch it with the visuals."  
  
Xander glared at the blonde vampire  
  
"Hey, I'm a nummy treat remember?"  
  
Spike looked even more offended and groaned  
  
"Do you mind?"  
  
Giles slammed a heavy book against the wooden table  
  
"I believe that's my line. When you've all quite finished can we please get back to the matter of three missing girls and the dangerous and bloodthirsty people pursuing them?"  
  
A silence fell around the table and Giles continued  
  
"Thank you. And I hardly think this is appropriate conversation when a young child is in the room."  
  
Dawn grinned  
  
"Don't mind me."  
  
Giles gave her a withering look and cleared his throat pointedly  
  
"Well, as I was saying, Toth succeeded in separating Xander with the aid of the P'rulajemina device. Xander suggested an idea to me earlier and I believe it has some merit. With certain modifications I believe we can use the device to cast a separation spell on a small group and allow the unknown curse to cling to the doubles allowing the original individuals to leave undetected and find Willow and the others."  
  
Buffy's mouth fell open  
  
"Xander thought of that?"  
  
Xander nodded proudly  
  
"All by my little Zeppo self."  
  
Buffy exchanged an impressed look with Dawn and Anya  
  
"Whoa, go Xan. Way to brainstorm."  
  
She turned back to Giles and her voice hardened as she said seriously  
  
"When do I leave?"  
LA.  
  
Connor took a deep breath and, for the second time in a day, knocked on a door he'd really rather never open. Unlike Wesley's, however, this one remained firmly shut. He bit his lip and looked along the corridor where Lorne nodded encouragingly and raised his hand to knock again  
  
"Dad? It's me. Connor."  
  
The silence stretched and Lorne grunted in annoyance at Angel's continuing stubbornness  
  
"Sweetie, just go in."  
  
Connor's eyes widened and he shook his head firmly. No way was he going in there. It had already taken everything he had to come up and knock in the first place, ignoring his father's obvious desire for alone time and busting in on him uninvited was not high on his to do list. He had turned and started back down the corridor towards Lorne when he heard Angel's low voice  
  
"Come in."  
  
Lorne gave the boy a thumbs up and a wide grin and then made tracks back downstairs and away from the angst fest. Connor watched him go and, for a moment, was half tempted to follow him, then he remembered he was The Destroyer and he didn't run from anything and reluctantly turned back towards Angel's room.  
  
Angel was seated in his favourite chair staring down at a picture in his lap as Connor entered. His body was slumped in the chair and his entire posture screamed defeat and misery  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Connor winced and hovered by the door uncertain of how to proceed. Even when Angel had finally broken free of his watery tomb and set eyes on his son for the first time in three long months his voice had never sounded this cold or distant. The teenager edged closer into the room and said quietly  
  
"I wanted to see how you were."  
  
Angel shrugged  
  
"Fine. I'll see you later."  
  
Connor nodded and half turned away and then stopped and burst out  
  
"You know this isn't easy for me either."  
  
Angel looked up and eyed him disinterestedly  
  
"Oh yeah? What?"  
  
Connor waved his arms helplessly  
  
"All this. You, this place, those people. I didn't choose this you know."  
  
Angel shut his eyes and leaned his head back in exhaustion  
  
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us."  
  
Connor nearly growled in frustration  
  
"Don't you want Cordelia back?"  
  
Angel kept his eyes shut and shrugged  
  
"You know, Connor I really don't know anymore."  
  
Angel's son took a shocked step back and stared wordlessly at the being that had helped create him. Perfect face, good strong body, average hair..and a self-pity streak a mile wide that you could use for an extra freeway.  
  
"What is the matter with you?"  
  
Angel opened his eyes at the shout of frustration and watched as his cool, calm son lost it all over his bedroom floor  
  
"You've sulked for a month that Cordelia left you and then when you find out that she's been forced in some way you stamp about growling and shouting and when I bring you someone who may be able to help us you try to kill him! You're arrogant and selfish and so self centred I'm amazed you can keep your balance long enough to walk across a room without falling over."  
  
He gasped for breath and waved his arms wildly around him  
  
"And look at this place. Four bare walls and a bed. This isn't a home, it's a cell. I lived for all those years in a wooden shack with nothing more than my father and some furs on the floor and I never felt like it wasn't home."  
  
Angel sprang up and clenched his fists  
  
"Don't call him that."  
  
Connor raised his chin too angry to heed the warning tone in Angel's voice  
  
"What? Father? He was, more than you'll ever be."  
  
He ducked as Angel seized the chair he had been sitting on and threw it into the wall and roared  
  
"I AM YOUR FATHER."  
  
The boy straightened and looked the enraged vampire in the eye  
  
"Then act like it."  
Crummy Motel No 2.  
  
Lindsey nodded his thanks as Fred released his wrists and grimaced as he rubbed the feeling back into them. The dark haired girl backed away from him and joined Cordelia and Willow on the bed to watch him warily. Lindsey tried a small smile  
  
"This is nice."  
  
Cordelia followed his gaze around the room. Damp walls, two sagging double beds, a ripped and scuffed chair and a virulent orange carpet.  
  
Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Bangkok Hilton  
  
"It's all we can afford."  
  
She caught Willow's eye and raised an eyebrow in query, the ex-witch looked at Lindsey for a moment and then nodded. Cordelia sighed  
  
"Look, Ambiguity Guy, I want to try something on you. Will you let me?"  
  
Lindsey looked at her apprehensively  
  
"Try what?"  
  
Cordy pushed herself to her feet with a sigh and walked slowly over and sank down beside him  
  
"It's similar to Lorne's trick but more..."  
  
Fred smiled as she trailed off and said brightly  
  
"Showy?"  
  
Cordy grinned and nodded  
  
"Showy. That's it exactly."  
  
She met Lindsey's eyes and he frowned as he realised how tired and worn she looked. Her skin had no glow, her hair hung limp and with ragged ends against her face and he traced a still healing gash along her collarbone with a finger. Cordelia flinched back and glared  
  
"Watch it, Mr Feely."  
  
Lindsey gave her a quick grin and eyed the slightly puffy skin around the cut  
  
"Looks like it isn't healing that well. What happened?"  
  
Cordelia folded her arms and said stubbornly  
  
"I'm sorry that's your business because?"  
  
The man shrugged unconcerned, folded his own arms casually and leaned back against the slightly sticky wall  
  
"It's not, just want to be able to let know Lorne know what happened when you drop dead of blood poisoning."  
  
Cordelia's eyes narrowed and her mouth opened but fortunately Willow got in first  
  
"There will be no telling of anyone anything is that clear?"  
  
Lindsey turned and looked at the slender red head and shrugged noncommittally causing Willow's resolve face to drop down like a steel trap  
  
"I said, there will be no telling anyone of anything is that clear?"  
  
Lindsey met her resolve face with one of his own  
  
"I'm here for Lorne..."  
  
Fred opened her mouth and said hesitantly  
  
"And y'all wanna keep him alive, right?"  
  
The dark haired man looked startled at the soft question  
  
"What? What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Cordelia glared at Fred  
  
"Nothing. She didn't mean anything." "Like hell, what's all this got to do with Lorne?"  
  
The three girls were silent for a moment and then Cordelia said firmly  
  
"Let me do my thing and then, if you're on the level, we'll tell you everything."  
  
Willow gasped  
  
"Cor, no!"  
  
The Seer ignored her and kept her eyes on Lindsey's face  
  
"Well?"  
  
He nodded and said firmly  
  
"Do it."  
Sunnydale.  
  
"Why can't I go?"  
  
Spike gritted his teeth as the Slayer's incessant whining and wondered not for the first time what his demon had ever seen in her. Apart from the shining blonde hair, lithe body and ability to fuck like a rabbit of course. He blinked as everyone stared at him and then frowned  
  
"Did I just say that out loud?"  
  
Buffy scowled at him and said tightly  
  
"Yes."  
  
Spike grinned and said unrepentantly  
  
"Ooops."  
  
Buffy opened her mouth and then abruptly swung back to Giles  
  
"Why can't I go? I'm the obvious choice."  
  
Giles forced his mind away from Spike's remark and focused on his Slayer  
  
"Buffy, you are the Chosen One. One as in the singular and we don't have a spare.." "But we will, that's the crux of the plan remember? Having a spare!"  
  
He blinked as an entirely inappropriate image rose in his mind. Two Buffys and...  
  
Like a rabbit? Good Lord, really?  
  
He shook his head and focused on the protector of the world and the rather adorable pout she had on her face  
  
"Buffy, when we use the spell the double will only have the curse and the original's form not any of their intelligence or personality. We can, perhaps, add a modicum of fighting ability but that's all, we can't have a sub standard Slayer running around the Hellmouth for any length of time."  
  
His voice gentled and he gave her a small smile  
  
"It didn't exactly work last time."  
  
Buffy blinked and then slumped back into her chair in defeat  
  
"Ok, fine, but who is going to go? Gunn and Angel have to, obviously, but we can't just leave them to go their merry slayin' way without a Scoob to back them up."  
  
Xander raised his hand slowly  
  
"I'll go."  
  
Giles shook his head  
  
"No Xander, it's out of the question, I'm sorry."  
  
The brunette frowned and eyed Giles unhappily  
  
"I'm sorry what? Will's my best bud, I'm going, end of story."  
  
Giles folded his arms and said firmly  
  
"No, you are not. You are needed here and we have no idea how long this will take. You have your job, your apartment and your commitment to Buffy to consider. We simply cannot spare you."  
  
The younger man looked torn between surprised gratification at his surrogate father's words and anger at his refusal  
  
"G-man, it's not your decision to make..."  
  
Spike shut his eyes as the table erupted into a fierce argument and, not for the first time, cursed the decision ever to come to this crappy little town. He frowned and reached a decision and thumped his hand down on the table  
  
"I'll bloody do it."  
  
He looked at the stunned faces around him and then lingered for a moment on Dawn's. The young girl stood frozen in surprise and then slowly a wide, thankful grin stole across her face, Spike nodded in acknowledgement and repeated himself firmly  
  
"I'll do it."  
LA.  
  
Angel stood and watched the hunched figure that sat on the bench in the courtyard for a few minutes. This wasn't the Wesley he remembered. His Wesley was, ok not the most coordinated guy in the world, but self-assured and confident in his abilities and his place in the world. This Wesley was a sad lost figure who started at shadows and watched others with an uneasy eye as though waiting for the next blow to fall.  
  
The vampire stepped out into the moonlight and cleared his throat and watched his former friend flinch so hard he fell off his uneasy perch on the bench. Angel waited until two suspicious eyes came up over the wooden surface and then said firmly  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
The eyes widened and then Wesley nodded his head briefly, wincing in pain and embarrassment as his nose bounced off the seat. Angel nodded and walked down the steps towards him and in the hotel lobby Gunn grinned admiringly at Connor  
  
"Kid, you got game."  
  
Connor gave a somewhat confused smile and nodded back  
  
"Thanks."  
  
I think.  
  
Crummy Motel No 2.  
  
Lindsey stared at the floor with his head in his hands and tried to get his head round the last thirty minutes. Cordelia glowing, her reading of him and the soothing of his troubled soul and then for the grand finale the revelations on why he couldn't go to Lorne and call in the cavalry.  
  
Goddamn you, Lilah!  
  
He raised his head and looked at the three girls on the opposite bed with new respect and admiration  
  
"And you've been running ever since?"  
  
Cordelia looked offended and said snootily  
  
"Not running, more...exploring our options."  
  
Lindsey grinned at her tone and then, after a few seconds, was rewarded with a reluctant smile from the Seer  
  
"I see. Well, where do I start?" "What do you mean?"  
  
Lindsey stood and brushed down his pants and then stretched his tired muscles  
  
"If you think I've chased across the country, dumped my job, gotten tied up, interrogated and then driven for two hours in the trunk of my own car to end up in a motel I wouldn't stable a horse in just to throw in the towel and let Lilah win you've got another think coming."  
  
Willow looked confused  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
Lindsey shook his head and screwed up his face in mock-horror  
  
"Against my better judgement I want to help and.."  
  
He looked pained and swallowed before saying through gritted teeth  
  
"I want to help save Angel."  
  
Cordelia snorted  
  
"No you don't."  
  
Lindsey grinned as Willow and Fred giggled into their hands and shrugged  
  
"Ok, I don't. But I do want to help save Lorne and the rest and I really think you could use another pair of hands on your side."  
  
Fred looked hopefully at her two friends and then laughed with relief when they nodded and Cordelia stood to offer him her hand  
  
"Ok, welcome to Hell. Screw up or betray us and I'll smack your teeth so far down your throat you'll have to stick a toothbrush up your ass to clean them."  
  
Lindsey grinned and took her smaller hand in his, saying dryly  
  
"I'm looking forward to working with you too, Cordy."  
  
End Part 6a 


	8. Over The Next Horizon 8

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Cordelia, Fred and Willow are on the run with Lindsey in a race against time to save the Scoobs and the Batpack from a horrible death. The others have finally figured out something's up and are on the case. Much annoyance and shouting ensues. Rating: Overall an R I think? Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: As always to Jen, the woman works her socks off to get the work back to me quickly and never a word of condemnation has passed her lips over the length of time it takes me to complete episodes. This is as much her baby as it is mine ad I'm very thankful for all the effort she puts in on my behalf. Mel and Ina, always there with the f/b and the poking. The rest of the crew, Wic, Lady, TW, Scribe and Danel and all the others on list that make the net such a fun place to hang out. Guys, we REALLY need to start getting a life!  
  
A/N : It may seem like there are huge chunks of scenes missing, I can explain. There are. Flashbacks and explanations will come I promise. And to those of you that are confused, the last time I posted it got sent out under 6b, sorry, the LAST part was 6a and THIS one is 6b. ::grins:: Jen refused to let me confuse you all and pointed out that I might want to clarify ::pouts:: She completely ruined my fun. The last three pages are unbeta'd by the way, I wanted to get it out asap as I have other fic commitments to finish. Can almost hear Jen gnashing her teeth over the grammar as I type.  
  
Part 6b  
  
Wesley perched uncomfortably on the wooden bench and stared down at the stone floor beneath his feet, stealing occasional glances at the tense figure next to him. He felt slightly queasy and certainly a bit shaky but all in all his head was clearer than it had been in months. He started as Angel said bitterly  
  
"I can't forgive you."  
  
Wes closed his eyes and nodded  
  
"I know."  
  
Angel made an impatient sound and jumped to his feet pacing angrily around the small courtyard  
  
"I can't forget what you did."  
  
Wesley blinked back self-pitying tears and bowed his head even further, remaining silent. Angel glared at the top of his head and snapped  
  
"Goddamn you, at least have the courage to look me in the eye."  
  
Wesley took a deep breath and raised his head to look in the furious tortured eyes above him. Angel shook his head and said in disgust  
  
"Look at the state of you. You're pathetic."  
  
The Englishmen held the revolted gaze silently and waited calmly for the next attack. Angel snorted  
  
"You're just going to sit there and take it? Take everything I can throw at you and not make a move to defend yourself?"  
  
Wesley shrugged  
  
"What would be the point? Everything you say is true. I'm everything you believe and more."  
  
Angel stared at his former friend wordlessly and then spun away with another low growl  
  
"Above everyone I believed you would be the one I could trust to do the right thing. I valued your opinion above everyone's, even Cordy's. Why did you do it? How could you take my child and give him to that.that.thing? How?"  
  
Wesley swallowed at the anguished voice and his eyes blurred with tears as he whispered  
  
"I panicked. I never had any intention of giving Connor to them, I wanted back up if I couldn't get Connor to safety myself. There's no excuse for what happened but I want you to know that it was never my intention to give your son to Holtz, I would have given my life to protect him."  
  
Angel stared down at the floor and clenched his big hands into fists  
  
"Is that meant to make it all better? Am I meant to say 'There, there, Wes. Don't worry about it, it's all ok now' and just move on? Because I can't, I can't let it go."  
  
Wes pushed himself unsteadily to his feet and swayed for a moment before straightening his shoulders and saying firmly  
  
"No, we can't forget this happened. Ever. I'll have to live with my stupidity for the rest of my days and with what it cost me."  
  
He took a deep breath as Angel turned slowly and stared at him with burning eyes, continuing in a low, sincere voice  
  
"I cost you your son, someone you love, and for that I can never be forgiven. I'm asking you to let me help you now and not to let my past actions cost you someone else you love. When we have Cordelia and the others back I'll go and you'll never see me again but until that time I'm asking you to give me the chance to help you one last time."  
  
Angel shook his head slowly  
  
"I can't let you in, Wes. You betrayed us all, you thought I could hurt my son and then you destroyed all our lives. I can't let you do it again."  
  
Wesley's face crumpled slightly and his eyes grew shadowed  
  
"Of course. I should never have come." "Why did you? Why now, after all these months? You must have known we'd needed you before."  
  
The Englishman sighed and fought to control the tremor in his exhausted and abused body  
  
"Connor. He came to me and demanded I help. He seemed to think I was needed and that you required every assistance you could find. He's a fine young man, Angel, you should be proud."  
  
Angel growled and his eyes flashed gold  
  
"No thanks to you or me. He's what Holtz made him."  
  
Wesley flinched and then shook his head. If nothing else he could give his former friend this  
  
"No, I saw nothing of Holtz in him. I saw you and Darla, even Cordelia, god help him, but nothing of that man. Connor is courageous, humorous and perhaps a little rigid at times but he has none of Holtz's hardness in him. None of his hate."  
  
Angel flicked a quick glance towards the lobby  
  
"He did. When he came back he was filled with it."  
  
Wesley nodded  
  
"He told me, what happened I mean. And he also told me how you were released and came for him and how you fought for his acceptance and love and not once did you blame him for what happened to you. And in his eyes I could see the wonder of having your unconditional love and your steadfast, unquestioning loyalty. You gave him something he's never had and for that he loves you."  
  
Angel stared in wonder at Wesley and then he shook his head slowly  
  
"Damn you. Damn you, Wesley."  
  
He closed his eyes and rubbed the palms of his hands over his face in a gesture filled with pain and uncertainty  
  
"Stay, for Connor. Help us find Cordelia and stop whatever's happening and then get the hell out. Don't come back when this is finished."  
  
Wes nodded  
  
"You have my word."  
  
Angel turned and walked away, shoulders bent under the impossible weight of Connor's faith in him and then he paused at the top of the steps leading into the lobby. He didn't turn but his voice reached Wesley clearly all the same  
  
"If you do anything, anything, to hurt us again, I will kill you. Nothing could stop me again."  
  
He walked through the doors without waiting for a reply and Wesley watched his departing figure and whispered  
  
"I know."  
Sunnydale.  
  
"Stand still."  
  
Spike eyed Giles as he pointed the harmless looking stick at him. His eyebrows shot up as he spotted the scotch tape wrapped around the wooded object  
  
"Hey! What the bleedin' hell is that? Is it broken?"  
  
He dodged behind the shop counter and made ready to duck if Giles so much as looked like he was starting any mystical majiggy. The watcher lowered his stick and peered disapprovingly over his glasses at the suspicious demon  
  
"No it's not broken. It was slightly damaged when Toth was killed and Xander very kindly repaired it." "The whelp did it? Oh that makes me feel SO much better. Nothing can possibly go wrong then, can it?"  
  
Spike hooked his thumbs into his jeans pockets and scowled belligerently  
  
"Piss off and don't point that thing at me or I'll ram it right up your ar.." "SPIKE!"  
  
Buffy and Giles yelled simultaneously and pointed at Dawn who sat giggling at the vampire's protests. Spike shut his mouth with a snap and looked sheepishly at the amused teenager  
  
"Sorry Nibblet."  
  
His eyes narrowed as he looked back at Giles  
  
"But if you think for one second I'm lettin' you blast me with that thing, you ponce, you've been conked on the head one time too many."  
  
He folded his arms across his chest and scowled fiercely at the room in general. Xander pushed away from the metal stairs where he had been seated during the whole process and said impatiently  
  
"I knew he was all talk. Giles, just let me go with Angel. I'm not a big fraidy cat like some demons I could mention. Come on, I'm ready. Duplicate me, Spock."  
  
Giles rolled his eyes as Spike rose predictably to the bait  
  
"Oi, I'm not scared Whelp! That's rich coming from you, Whimper Boy." "Wuss." "Ponce." "Jerk." "Twat." "Girl."  
  
Buffy, Anya and Dawn scowled in annoyance  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Xander glanced over at them  
  
"Sorry."  
  
Spike hooked his thumbs into his jeans and glared at Xander  
  
"I'm not scared. Watcher, do it."  
  
Giles nodded and pointed the P'rulajemina stick at the vampire and glanced at the notes in his hand. He swallowed and muttered a chant under his breath, there was a brilliant flash of light and then two Spikes were laid out on the floor. Anya was the first to move  
  
"Oh god, is it ok?"  
  
Xander's face crumpled with hurt as she raced across the room towards Spike and then smoothed into a loving grin as she completely bypassed the unconscious vampire to reach for the cash register  
  
"Oh thank the Powers, it survived. Giles, you fired at the money! How could you?"  
  
Giles rolled his eyes and crossed to Buffy's side swallowing his own jealousy as she cautiously touched first one Spike and then the other.  
  
"I don't know which one's which. Giles is he.are they...ok?"  
  
Giles and Xander both frowned at the evident concern in her voice and Buffy gave them a small grin  
  
"Don't call the exorcist just yet, I'm not possessed."  
  
She glanced back down at the demons on the floor and gave a wry smile  
  
"Don't tell him but he kind of grows on you after a while."  
  
Xander scowled  
  
"So does mildew." "Hey, he's given up a lot the past couple of years for us." Buffy's eyes met Dawn's and the two girls shared a long look as Buffy continued "Maybe it's time to cut the guy some slack."  
  
Spike groaned on the floor  
  
"What the fuckin', bleedin' hell just hit me?"  
  
Dawn sighed with relief and ran to slip an arm around his shoulders as he climbed to his feet  
  
"You're ok!" "I am? What the hell was that?" He looked down at the floor "And who's that ponce?"  
  
Dawn giggled  
  
"That would be you."  
  
Spike looked with disgust at the unconscious form on the floor  
  
"Don't be an idiot, luv, looks nothin' like me. I'm bigger and my hair isn't so..." "Freakish?" "Stupid?" "Badly cut?"  
  
Spike glared around him "Hey!"  
  
Dawn wrapped a consoling arm around his waist and squeezed  
  
"Spike, you're a hottie, trust me. It's gonna be a shock to see yourself after a hundred years right?" The vampire nodded dubiously as she carried on "You look good, very mean and moody." She led him away from the counter towards the table as he peered back over his shoulder "Now come and sit down and let Giles see if the spell worked."  
  
Spike sat down and kept his eyes on his double "Don't think it did luv, looks nothing like me. And why won't it wake up?"  
  
Giles wisely kept his council as he approached Spike and scattered a small helping of dust over the vampire, keeping a straight face at the vampire's increasing horror at his image  
  
"Look at how scrawny he is, no-one's ever gonna believe that's me. And since when do my legs bow out like that? And there's no way anyone's gonna believe that a pretty boy like that is me! I'm much rougher looking, much more manly..."  
  
He trailed off as Giles exclaimed in satisfaction and stepped back  
  
"No trace of a curse on him. Anya, test the double."  
  
The demoness scurried forward and took the powder and spell book from the older man, Giles took his glasses off and sucked the metal arm happily  
  
"Wonderful, we have a plan. Now, we need to assume that we're being watched. Buffy have you run the usual security checks to check for unwelcome listeners?"  
  
The Slayer nodded  
  
"Yeah, Willow's system is still holding up after last year. I'm pretty sure we're clear."  
  
Xander let his eyes wander to Anya and Spike who exchanged stricken looks at the reminder of their brief fling that half of Sunnydale caught on tape thanks to bugs planted by the Troika. It was rumoured Willie still did brisk business in pirate copies out of the bar but Spike had yet to uncover any proof.  
  
Giles cleared his throat at the sudden tensing of the atmosphere  
  
"Good, has Angel done the same?"  
  
Buffy nodded and stretched up on her toes bowing her spine and pushing her chest out as she worked the kinks out of her tired body. Giles suddenly found himself in need of a large drink  
  
"Yup, apparently they had a similar problem last year. The green guy checked it over, apparently he can hear them and stuff."  
  
Giles nodded and dragged his eyes away from her body  
  
Bad man! She's a child, a child you've raised as your own. Bad, bad man!  
  
He took a quick look at Xander and conscious Spike to check their reactions and frowned worriedly. Spike was still arguing with Dawn about his resemblance to his 'double' and Xander's eyes were following Anya as she moved around the still prone body on the floor performing the spell, neither of them were paying Buffy the attention they normally did. His frown lightened as he realised what was happening  
  
Of course, it must be a side effect of the spell! These feelings aren't real, just another result of the unknown curse. Thank god.  
  
Much happier, he gave Anya a beaming smile as she called across the room to him  
  
"Giles, this one still has the curse."  
  
They all stared at the 'Spike' on the floor as he glowed purple and once again his hair turned a violent pink  
  
"Bloody hell!!!"  
  
Dawn looked at the horrified vampire and laughed at the expression on his face  
  
"It's ok, it'll wear off soon." She frowned " Giles, shouldn't it be awake now?" "Hmm? Oh, no, I don't think so. After all when the same thing happened to Xander, his weaker half took a good few hours to regain his senses. I think the best thing we can do is get our Spike off to Angel tonight and let them know it worked and it's safe to work the spell."  
  
Spike's mouth fell open in outrage  
  
"You weren't sure it would work? You bastards!" "Now, now Spike, there's no need for that kind of language. We felt we should try it on someone that we were equipped to deal with if it went badly wrong."  
  
Everyone jumped as a loud clatter interrupted him and Buffy flushed and kicked 'Mr Pointy' under a chair  
  
"Sorry, it slipped." "You were going to STAKE me?"  
  
For a moment Giles felt a twinge of something akin to guilt as he looked at the expression of hurt disbelief on Spike's face. The vampire looked like he had been the victim of the worst kind of betrayal as he looked around at them. The only Scoob that met his eyes was Dawn, then she rounded on the rest of them  
  
"You were going to stake him?"  
  
Her voice was low and angry as she stared at their uncomfortable faces. She let her eyes rest on her sister's face for long moments and then turned to Giles  
  
"Give me the stick." "Dawn, I rea..." "I don't care what you think. Give me that stick!"  
  
Her voice rose in a shout at the end of the sentence and rather than wait for Giles to move she snatched it out of his hand and then crossed the shop dragging Spike behind her  
  
"Anya, get the hell out of the way." "Dawnie, I." "Don't you speak to me." Dawn shook with anger spinning around on Buffy as the Slayer reached for her "Just don't you fucking speak to me! After all that he's done, all that he's willing to do for us, you set him up as some kind of fucking lab rat. You said you'd lay off, treat him respect and at the first hurdle there you are throwing him to the fucking wolves."  
  
She turned her back on Buffy as the older girl opened her mouth to reply and looked into Spike's wide blue eyes  
  
"I'm sorry. They were stupid and selfish and they don't deserve what you offered them. I'll work the re-joining spell and you can get the fuck out of here."  
  
Spike swallowed at her words and lifted a hand to cup the side of her face gently  
  
"Language 'Bit.  
  
Dawn gave a shaky laugh and turned her face into his cool touch  
  
"Fuck my language." "There's my girl." Spike leaned forward as pressed his lips to her forehead, meeting Buffy's eyes over the top of Dawn's head. Blue met hazel for a moment and then Spike pulled back and slipped the P'rulajemina device out of her hand and laid it on the counter-top and laid a finger over Dawn's lips to silence her protest  
  
"Ssh, s'alright 'Bit. S'done now and we may as well go through with it." He gave her a cocky grin " S'good to know one of you notices how important I am round here."  
  
Dawn stepped forward and slipped her arms round his neck, whispering  
  
"I always have."  
  
The tiny words nearly undid him but he managed to hold it together somehow and settled for pulling her close and burying his face in her neck. Buffy looked around at her friends, all of them, even Xander, were flushed with shame and guilt. She shook her head and stepped forward as Dawn released Spike and moved to stand protectively to one side of him  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Spike nodded dismissively  
  
"S'alright."  
  
Buffy looked at Dawn's face and then back at Spike "No, it's really not. We, I, should have told you of the risks and of the possible consequences. I'm sorry, Spike." She took a deep breath "Dawn's right, I treated you badly and you deserve more than that. I'd like you to forgive me."  
  
Spike looked stunned at her words and if he'd actually had a pulse he was sure he'd being bearing a stunning resemblance to a tomato right about now. He looked at the floor and muttered  
  
"It's alright I said. I understand. It's Red."  
  
Buffy nodded, "Yes it is, but that doesn't excuse sacrificing one member of this team for another." She pretended not to notice as his head snapped up and a dumbfounded expression stole across his face "You're an important member of the group and what we did was inexcusable." She flicked a quick look at Dawn and finished "You're a member of this team, and our friend, we had no right to treat you that way."  
  
Dawn bit back a yelp as Spike's hand clenched on hers at Buffy's words and clutched his hand back as tightly as she could. Out of all of them she was the only one who could possibly understand how much Buffy's words would mean to the vampire and she felt his hand tremble lightly as he took on board he finally had somewhere to belong. She stepped forward and drew attention away from Spike as he pulled himself together  
  
"Thanks Buff." "You were right, we were wrong. It needed saying."  
  
Buffy shrugged uncomfortably and Dawn rewarded her with a beaming smile  
  
"Sorry, I thought I heard you say something about being wrong there. Could you just repeat it again?"  
  
Buffy laughed  
  
"Not a chance." She cleared he throat and slipped an arm around Dawn's waist, saying brightly "Right, now we've babied Bleach boy out of his lickle tantrum can we move this along please?"  
  
She gave Spike a grin as she spoke and blinked at the radiant smile he shot back. Just for a moment she saw what she had seen in him over those long, tortuous months when she'd been pulled out of heaven. Acceptance, understanding but most of all loyalty and the willingness to go the wall for those he held dear. She held his gaze for another moment and then turned to Giles  
  
"Ok, how do you want to play this?"  
LA, three hours later.  
  
Spike watched with interest the men of Angel investigations as they milled around the lobby of the hotel. There seemed to be none of the camaraderie of the Scoobs evident here. Wesley sat uncomfortably to one side ignoring, and being ignored by, those around him. Angel's son sat beside Gunn watching his father with a peculiar mix of suspicion and longing as the vampire talked quietly with the green skinned demon that had started the whole thing in the first place. There was an air of desperation and hopelessness about the place that seemed to weigh down on all of them. Mistrust and unhappiness was so thick that Spike could almost taste it. He put the thoughts of his own family out of his head, family, imagine that, and pushed away from the wall he had been slouching against  
  
"Any chance we can get this show on the road sometime before next Christmas Peaches? We can pick up your poofy hair gel on the road y'know, they stock it everywhere."  
  
Angel flicked an annoyed glance at his grandchilde and said bitingly  
  
"Shut up, Spike. I have responsibilities here and I need to make sure they're taken care of. Unlike some people." His eyes drifted to Connor for a moment then he turned back to Lorne. Spike grinned at the words and felt his dead heart swell with pride as he relied  
  
"So did I, but I got my dead-ass in gear and sorted them in no time flat when I knew my mate was in trouble. Shake your booty, gorgeous, and let's make tracks."  
  
His grin widened, I've got a friend. Friends. Me, William the Bloody, friends with the white hats. I'm such a poof.  
  
He hooked his thumbs into his jeans pockets and sauntered across to where Connor and Gunn sat on the lobby sofa. Ignoring the stiffening of their bodies as he threw himself down beside them, he nodded cordially  
  
"He's still as much fun as a bath in holy water then?"  
  
Connor frowned and said defensively  
  
"He's had a lot on his mind."  
  
Spike snorted  
  
"I've told him to lay off the hair care but will he listen?" "I sure am glad this is so entertaining for you."  
  
Spike smirked at Gunn as the bigger man moved forward to block his view of Connor and flexed his muscles warningly  
  
"Peaches is always good for a laugh, mate, whatever the circumstances." "Look man, these are our girls we're talkin' about. If you just joined up to take shots at Angel....."  
  
Spike's face lost the look of amusement and he said seriously  
  
"And Willow's MY girl. She's one of the Scoobs and they're mine through and through, even the Whelp, and I'm going to personally rip the face off anyone that's touched her, don't you worry about that."  
  
He looked across at Angel and wasn't altogether surprised to see the older vampire watching him as he listened to his words. He kept his eyes steady as he said clearly  
  
"I'm on board with whatever it takes to get them home."  
  
Angel nodded shortly and turned back to Lorne only to glare back in annoyance as Spike concluded with a grin  
  
"Doesn't mean I'm going to stop taking the piss outta Soulboy though. Way too much opportunity there to let it go to waste."  
  
Connor leaned round Gunn  
  
"How can you be so casual about his soul? It's what makes him who he is."  
  
Spike eyed the young boy and weighed his words carefully before he spoke  
  
"No, the soul doesn't make him who he is mate, he does. Souls don't mean you turn into Mary bloddy Poppins overnight they just give you more chances to fuck up. All the decisions that you wouldn't think twice about without one, all become much more important when you have that nagging little voice inside you screaming the consequences every time you move."  
  
His eyes drifted to Wes and he said slowly  
  
"Souls don't stop you making bad choices and they don't stop evil coming out of you if that's what you have there in the first place, they just make bad choices harder to live with and the next choice that much harder to make. You've got to admire anyone that can live with a bad choice and then still have the balls to make a good one next time around."  
  
Connor stared at Spike for a minute and then his eyes rested thoughtfully on his father  
  
"I never thought of it like that."  
  
Angel turned from Lorne and purposefully avoided looking at Wesley as he called out  
  
"Ok, we're ready. Gunn, Lorne's ready to do the spell now, you're up. Spike I need a word" He gestured to his office and waited until the smaller man passed through the door before nodding to Lorne "Do it. I'll be out in a minute."  
  
He followed Spike through the door and shut it softly behind him. Spike watched as he stalked behind his desk and leaned on the wooden top  
  
"I need you at full strength for this if we're going to do it. I've called in a favour and I can have the chip taken out if that's what you want."  
  
Spike's mouth fell open in surprise  
  
"What?" "I can get rid of the chip. Do you want that?"  
  
Angel watched the other man's reaction calmly as Spike sank into a chair staring incredulously at him  
  
"Why? You're the last bloke on earth I'd expect to offer me that."  
  
Angel kept his voice low and deliberately ignored all the painful, blood- soaked memories that Spike's tone implied  
  
"We don't know what's going on and what we'll face. Cordelia and the others are too important to me to ignore the fact that with the chip you're fifty percent useless."  
  
Spike grinned at the insult and nodded "Ok. When do we do it?" "Before we leave town. It should only take a little while and Gunn can drive through the day while we shelter in back."  
  
He walked to the door and held it open for Spike, who paused and said slowly  
  
"What do you want in return? This is a big thing, Peaches. What do you want back from me?"  
  
Angel paused and his head turned slowly to stare unseeingly down at Spike  
  
"When the time comes and we find whoever did this to them, and us, I want you to show no mercy. Just kill them."  
  
Spike swallowed at the blank look of hatred on the handsome face  
  
"Ok. That I can do."  
  
Angel turned and walked out of the office leaving Spike still in the chair  
  
"Well, this should be a laugh a minute trip."  
Two Months Down The Road.  
  
The three men pulled into the car lot and ignored the appreciative looks from a group of girls that stood at the doorway to the club. Spike stared around him and nudged Angel in the ribs  
  
"Peaches."  
  
Angel followed his gaze and his eyes narrowed as he saw a truck matching the description of the one the girls were driving. They stalked across the asphalt floor and Spike leaned in to sniff the vehicle  
  
"It's them. I can smell the witch."  
  
Gunn closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer of gratitude. They'd been on the road for so long tracking the girls as they zigged and zagged across the country he was being to doubt they'd ever catch up to them. The only reason they'd managed to finally pin them down was that they'd stayed in the area for more than a few hours this time. He looked around him and frowned at the thought of his Fred being here on her own for three days. Drunken figures weaved in and out of the parked cars and unless he was very much mistaken there were some hookers of intermediate species plying their trade at the side of the club. He turned as Angel gave a low growl, realising the vampire's thoughts had been running parallel to his own  
  
"Gunn, you stay outside in case they spot us and make a run for it. Spike can come inside with me and help sniff them out."  
  
Gunn nodded in agreement, knowing the others enhanced senses would mean a greater chance of the girls being found quickly. They moved off towards the club, falling naturally into the formation that they'd established in the long months on the road. Angel front and centre, Gunn, to his right and Spike to his left. The two vampires went ahead with a nod as Gunn stopped outside the door and disappeared into the dark, noisy club. Gunn folded his arms and spread his legs, settling down for the wait.  
  
End Part 6b. 


	9. Over The Next Horizon 9

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Spoilers: Seasons 5/6, Angel 2/3 Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Cordelia, Fred and Willow are on the run with Lindsey in a race against time to save the Scoobs and the Batpack from a horrible death. The others have finally figured out something's up and are on the case. Much annoyance and shouting ensues. Angel is NOT seeing the funny side. Rating: Overall an R I think? Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: As always to Jen, the woman works her socks off to get the work back to me quickly and never a word of condemnation has passed her lips over the length of time it takes me to complete episodes. This is as much her baby as it is mine ad I'm very thankful for all the effort she puts in on my behalf. Mel and Ina, always there with the f/b and the poking. The rest of the crew, Wic, Lady, TW, Scribe and Danel and all the others on list that make the net such a fun place to hang out. Guys, we REALLY need to start getting a life!  
  
A/N : It may seem like there are huge chunks of scenes missing, I can explain. There are. Flashbacks and explanations will come I promise. =thoughts.  
  
Part 7.  
Angel and Spike walked into the club every sense on alert for any sign of their runaway girls. Spike glanced around the packed room and then flicked a wary glance at his companion  
  
"You alright, mate?"  
  
The taller vampire nodded as he stared around him at the laughing and dancing people. Somewhere in here was Cordelia. His body was tense with anticipation at the thought of finally having her before him after their long months of separation. His nostrils flared as he tried to catch her scent, he growled with frustration as he realised the impossibility of the task in the crowded room. His head weaved from side to side and Spike found himself uneasily picturing a big cat on the hunt as his grandsire's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared once more  
  
"Take it easy, Angel. Don't want to give the chits a scare, do we?"  
  
Angel gave the blonde vampire an unreadable look and then nodded to the right hand side of the club  
  
"We need to split up. Go that way."  
  
He stalked off into the crowd and Spike watched him for a moment before plunging into the crowd on his own side of the room suddenly really wanting to find the girls before Angel did. He pictured the grim look on his grandsire's face again and picked up his pace considerably, almost knocking over a dark haired man over in his hurry to find the girls first.  
  
Lindsey swore and tightened his grip on his beer as the blonde haired man crashed into him  
  
"Hey, asshole! Watch it!"  
  
He caught his breath as the man spared him a brief glance over his shoulder before moving on without a word. That looked like...Lindsey began to shove his own way through the crowd to where he'd left Fred and Willow, cursing as people didn't move out of his way fast enough. Shit, shit, shit! If he was here then the chances were that....Shit! Where the hell were the girls?  
  
Fred sipped at her soda and let her gaze drift casually around the packed club as Willow exchanged pleasantries with the young barman. They had met up with Lindsey earlier that night and now were waiting for Cordelia to conclude her dealings with the witch that owned the club before bedding down for the night in a nearby motel. She smiled as she saw Lindsey head towards them and then her face gradually creased with concern as she saw the look on his face. That couldn't be good. She nudged Willow with her elbow as Lindsey pulled up breathlessly before them  
  
"We need to get out of here. I've seen Spike."  
  
Fred felt the blood drain from her face and turned to stare wordlessly at Willow at Lindsey's breathless announcement. Lindsey slammed his beer on the bar top and grabbed hold of their wrists, tugging impatiently  
  
"Go! I'll find Cordy."  
  
Willow shook her head and stuttered  
  
"Bu..but Spike wouldn't be here. He..he's in Sunnydale."  
  
Lindsey gave them an impatient shove towards the door as he stared anxiously around them  
  
"Run now, discuss later. Get going and stay low, we don't know who else is here."  
  
Fred froze suddenly  
  
"Yes we do. There's Angel!"  
  
Lindsey spun and followed her shaking finger as she pointed at the far side of the dance floor. He cursed and shoved them again  
  
"Go!"  
  
He paused only to make sure they began to head for the exit before he ducked behind a pillar and peered casually round it. Yep, no doubt about it, that was the Broodmeister. He pulled his head back as Angel glanced his way and tried to think of a way to get to Cordy without being spotted, which would, of course, lead to his bloody, beaten body being found in a ditch somewhere and then Cordelia and the others trussed up like virgin sacrifices on their unwilling way back to California. He took a brief moment to chuckle at the thought of anyone using the word virgin and Cordelia in the same sentence and then applied his mind to the problem in hand.  
  
Think, McDonald, think!  
  
Cordelia eyed the woman before her with disbelief and drawled  
  
"Say that again?"  
  
The blonde woman who looked to be in her mid-forties sighed and placed her hands on her slim hips  
  
"My name is Glinda. I'm the witch."  
  
Cordy fought to keep a straight face  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said. So, how's things? Dropped a house on anyone lately?"  
  
The witch rolled her eyes and turned away to walk around her desk and sink gracefully into her big leather armchair  
  
"You know, those references just never get old."  
  
Cordelia shrugged and took a seat before the desk, giving her own sigh as the ache in her lower back began to ease  
  
"Sorry, too good to resist."  
  
Glinda nodded and opened a plain file before her, glancing down at the top sheet  
  
"I was incredibly flattered when Mr Baum initially decided to base his good witch on me but after hearing the same lame jokes decade after decade I'd happily drop a few farm houses on him. And for the record it was that stupid kid that did the dropping, I just happened to be there."  
  
Cordelia opened her mouth to reply and then shook her head impatiently  
  
"Whatever, look I need your help."  
  
The witch nodded briefly and reached into the top drawer of her desk to pull out two tumblers and a bottle of Jim Beam, eyes still on the page on front of her  
  
"So I hear. Drink?"  
  
Cordelia shook her head and watched as the woman filled the deep glass three quarters full and quickly drained the contents and then refilled the glass once more. Her eyebrows rose in disbelief as the second glass quickly followed the first and then the glass was once more refilled  
  
"Bad day?"  
  
The older woman shook her head and looked up to meet Cordelia's eyes ruefully  
  
"Not yet, but it's about to get that way."  
  
She shook back her blonde hair and leaned back in her chair to look at the Seer appraisingly  
  
"But we have about three minutes before the shit hits the fan, so tell me why I should tell you about the Light."  
  
Cordelia frowned uneasily and flicked a quick glance over her shoulder at the closed office door  
  
"Is there trouble?"  
  
She thought worriedly of Willow and Fred downstairs in the bar and gripped the arms of the chair as though to rise. Glinda leaned forward and placed her glass down on the desk with a small clink  
  
"Isn't there always? Your friends are fine. Tell me why I should help you. What makes you so special?"  
  
Cordelia gritted her teeth at the woman's mocking tone and her eyes flashed as she tore them away from the door and refocused on the witch  
  
"Nothing makes me special. I got a link to the Powers by default and I get to play hero for the rest of my life. Aside from never needing to visit a gym again because I get a regular work out battling the forces of darkness, I can't think of a single thing that marks me out from the rest of the planet."  
  
Glinda laughed and made a show of examining her long red finger nails  
  
"Really? What about being a higher being, being in love with a vampire with a soul and fighting evil for years before you ever heard of the Powers? That makes you pretty unique in my book."  
  
Cordelia glared and folded her arms saying coolly  
  
"Everyone needs a hobby. I'm from Sunnydale, it's either dust vamps and kill demons or spend your life drinking coffee and shopping in the same five shops over and over again."  
  
The other woman was silent for a moment and then threw back her head and laughed out loud. Cordelia glared harder and reminded herself they were on the same side, there would be no butchering of the good witch. Unfortunately.  
  
No one said maiming isn't allowed though  
  
She shook the thought out of her head and instead settled for maintaining a dignified expression and saying in a voice you could fine chop diamonds with  
  
"Something funny?"  
  
The witch wiped her eyes and said with a grin  
  
"Yes. Let me ask you something. Do you actually believe that claptrap?"  
  
Cordelia scowled in confusion  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Glinda sobered and took another long sip of her drink and fixed her eyes on Cordelia saying seriously  
  
"You actually believe you fight the fight because you got bored and there was nothing better to do? Please, you live for this. Knowing that you make a difference with every breath you take, that every time you go into battle you make the world a better place."  
  
Cordelia stayed silent for a moment and stared at the carpet and then raised her eyes to the woman across the desk  
  
"I can't think like that. If I did, there'd come a day when I start to believe it and then before you know it I'd be making judgements and decisions I had no business making. I'd be no better than the things I fight. Everyone on this miserable little planet makes a difference, every day, and if I believe for one moment that I'm more important in the scheme of things than they are then I wreck lives. They'll always be warriors and heroes, what this world needs are the ordinary people, going about their business and doing what they do. I just make sure they have the opportunity to do that."  
  
Glinda nodded  
  
"Good answer. The Light can't be carried and cannot be contained. You'll take out of its home exactly what you take in. Go to this address and ask for Mike, he'll take you to the portal."  
  
Cordelia watched as the woman scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and held it out to her. She took the small scrap and stared disbelievingly over the desk  
  
"That's it?"  
  
Glinda swigged back the last of her whisky and grabbed the bottle to upend it once more  
  
"That's it. You've still got a way to go and a hard path to tread but you'll make it. Mainly because it's never going to occur to you that you can't. You've got balls and I like that in a woman, now get out of here and get gone. Things are about to get dicey."  
  
Cordelia jumped as a loud crash came from downstairs and then was on her feet and moving, yelling over her shoulder a brief "Thanks!" as she flung open the door and raced down the staircase.  
  
Glinda shook her head as the door banged shut and muttered under her breath  
  
"There was a phone right next to him, he could've just called up. Bruce Willis has a lot to answer for. 'Die Hard' my milky white ass."  
Fred and Willow burst through the club doors and then came to a screeching halt as they came face to face with Gunn. Willow cursed loudly and thrust Fred behind her  
  
"Get out of our way!"  
  
Gunn scowled and stepped forward  
  
"Not gonna happen. Just calm down and stay there. Fred, get out here."  
  
The dark haired girl shook with nerves and reached under Willow's jacket to pull out the long dagger the redhead kept strapped to her back. She slid it from the sheath and slipped it into Willow's hand as the red head gave her a shove, pushing the girl far to the side and out of immediate harm's way  
  
"Fred, get the truck."  
  
Willow's voice was calm and betrayed none of her nerves or fear. She stepped forward as Gunn tensed to lunge for her friend  
  
"Don't move."  
  
Gunn looked at the wicked looking blade in her hand and the confident way she faced off at him. He knew she couldn't use magic thanks to the information Spike had given him but he also knew that she could hold her own in a one on one takedown. He moved his gaze to Fred  
  
"Baby, please..."  
  
The dark haired girl stared at him for a long moment and then gave Willow a shaky smile  
  
"Watch your back."  
  
She turned and ran off into the dark leaving Gunn staring incredulously after her  
  
"FRED!!!" "Whoa, big fella, just take a breath there."  
  
Gunn re-focused on the slender redhead holding him at knifepoint  
  
"Look.Willow, right?" She gave a small nod "Look Willow, we've been looking for you for months. We know there's a big problem and we want to help. Now put that damn fool thing down and quit playing around."  
  
Willow ignored the sick feeling in her stomach at his words  
  
"Who's 'we'?"  
  
Gunn scowled with impatience as he tried to see into the darkness beyond her to where Fred had disappeared  
  
"All of us. The whole team."  
  
Willow squeaked in alarm and Gunn narrowed his eyes speculatively on her bone-white face  
  
"Yep, me and the boys and the Slayer and the whole kit and caboodle all down here lookin' for our girls. Man, they're pissed with you guys."  
  
Willow felt fear twist in her stomach and bowels and backed up two steps shaking her head, tears being to pool in her expressive eyes  
  
"No, they aren't here, they can't be here."  
  
Gunn frowned at her obvious distress and took a step closer only to swear and stumble back as she slashed wildly at him with the knife  
  
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" "Ok, ok, just calm down, alright?"  
  
He held his hands out loosely to the sides and kept his voice soothing and calm. Willow shook fiercely as she stared at him and tried to think what to do. They'd only dispatched the last lot of bounty hunters that night and she shuddered as she realised that spies from Wolfram and Hart could be watching them even now and reporting back to Lilah. She paled as she thought of the incredible danger her friends were all in and the risks they were unknowingly running. Her eyes widened further as she was suddenly struck by the thought that at any moment one of her friends could appear and touch her, triggering the curse.  
  
Gunn watched the fast play of emotion across Willow's face and mentally reviewed his options Make a lunge for her and get stabbed Wait for Angel and Spike to find Cordelia and drag her out, make a lunge for Willow, *then* get stabbed  
  
The door behind the witch flew open and she span around in surprise, conveniently pointing the knife at the new threat  
  
Or, 3, wait till her back's turned and THEN make a sneaky play for her  
  
Gunn shot forward and wrapped two long arms around the redhead. He ignored her scream of terror and caught hold of the hand that held the knife and squeezed. Hard.  
  
"Drop it!"  
  
Willow yelled in panic as she tried to twist away from him, her one thought to prevent the curse from activating. She sobbed as his arms tightened around her and her hand burned under the pressure from his larger one, Gunn ignored the pitiful sobbing breaths and dragged her into the shadows at the side of the building, away from the people that were screaming out into the night  
  
What the...?  
  
"A gun, he's got a gun!" "Call 911!" "Somebody's been shot!"  
  
Willow froze for a second as she realised that the large man holding her wasn't bursting into flames, she sagged in relief  
  
The bitch said it would be different; she must be controlling the activation. Oh thank the goddess!  
  
Gunn shook Willow's limp hand and the knife skittered away under a nearby car. He took a firm grip on her arm and then quickly changed their positions so Willow was pressed up against the wall of the club and he loomed over her, cutting off all avenues of escape  
  
"Let's try this again. What the hell is up with you three?"  
  
Inside the club Cordelia ran down the stairs from Glinda's office to a scene of total pandemonium. Everywhere she looked people were screaming, running and fighting each other in a panic to suddenly be elsewhere. She stared intensely around her, searching for a sign of Fred, Willow or Lindsey  
  
Where the hell are they?  
  
She jumped down the remaining three steps and started to head toward the bar, grunting as a large body appeared in front of her. "Excuse me." She made to push past and then froze in sheer horror as a strong, cool hand gripped her forearm  
  
"Cordelia"  
  
No! It can't be!  
  
She tried to tug her arm free, even as her appalled eyes met two very pissed brown ones  
  
"Angel!"  
  
Her fist swung out and she kicked at his kneecap at the same time. Angel pivoted and moved behind her to twist her arm sharply up her back, wincing at her gasp of pain  
  
"Nice moves, shame I taught you them." "Angel, let me go! You don't understand!"  
  
The vampire slipped his other arm around Cordy's waist and heaved the writhing girl off her feet  
  
"Yeah? On the upside you're about to get a lot of time to explain it to me." "Nooo!"  
  
Cordelia gave a sobbing breath and then screamed as a huge flash blinded her. She lost her breath as she crashed to the floor, tears streaming from her eyes when she thought the flash she had seen was the triggering of the curse. She shoved away from Angel, rolling to her knees and then gasped in a mixture of relief and horror as she stared into an enraged, blood-soaked face that wasn't the least bit on fire as far as she could see. She pushed to her feet as she realised that the vampire had been shot and she was wasting precious seconds of running away time.  
  
Oh, thank you Powers!  
  
Cordy turned away from Angel and plunged into the now hysterical crowd, screaming as someone grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the exit. Lindsey shoved his way through the crowd ruthlessly and yelled over his shoulder  
  
"It's ok, it's me!" "You SHOT him?"  
  
Lindsey punched the back of a man's head and dragged Cordelia over the fallen body without breaking stride  
  
"What you'd prefer I go up to him and ask him nicely to let you go? CHRIST! Will you people MOVE!"  
  
He threw himself forward and rammed people forcefully out of the way and then they were out the door and stumbling onto the asphalt of the car lot. He gave Cordelia a shove to keep her moving  
  
"Get to the truck and get out of here! I'll catch you up. GO!"  
  
Cordy nodded and whirled around as Lindsey sprinted to his own car, then gasped as she caught sight of a very familiar baldhead  
  
"Gunn!"  
  
The black man's head snapped round as he heard his name and he met Cordelia's eyes  
  
"Cordy! Stay right th....Ooof!"  
  
His eyes went wide as Willow's knee crashed with unerring accuracy into his groin and he folded over onto the floor  
  
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"  
  
Willow leapt his body and ran to Cordelia's side, " We need to go, all the others are here." "Shit, where's Fred?"  
  
Willow opened her mouth to reply as she glanced over Cordelias' shoulder and her eyes went wide with shock  
  
"ANGEL!"  
  
Cordelia didn't look back, "Run!" The two girls took off across the parking lot, dodging through the hysterical mob from the club. They looked round as they heard a loud, insistent horn and then threw themselves to the side as the truck, with Fred at the wheel, screeched to a halt  
  
"Get in!"  
  
They flung themselves into the cab and slammed the door shut as Fred floored it, Willow looked back through the rear window  
  
"Angel's coming!"  
  
Cordelia spun in her seat, staring with wild eyes at the vampire jumping from car to car to beat them to the exit. His entire left shoulder was covered with blood and as he jumped in and out of the streetlights she saw his bloodsoaked face in furious, stark relief. Willow swallowed  
  
"He looks pissed." "Ya think? Fred, keep your foot down. Willow, weapons!" The redhead dropped to the floor and rummaged frantically until she came up with a solid wooden bat and an axe. Cordelia grasped the axe and said grimly  
  
"Do whatever it takes short of killing him."  
  
She kneeled on her seat and stuck her head, shoulders and arms out the window  
  
"INCOMING!"  
  
Willow screamed as a hefty thump on the roof of the truck signalled the arrival of one very annoyed vampire and then followed Cordy's example, popping through the window to swing her bat as best she could at Angel's legs. Fred risked a quick glance at the rear mirror and was reassured that no-one else seemed to be on their tail. She flinched as Cordelia yelled in terror and scrabbled for a hold to prevent herself being dragged bodily through the window and then Fred saw it. Their salvation.  
  
"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!"  
  
Cordelia barely heard Fred's yell as she was too busy trying to breath against the stranglehold that Angel had on the back of her jacket. She rolled her eyes upward and caught a glimpse of his face, her hands let go of his and she threw herself backwards as hard as she could whilst taking a death grip on the inside door handle. There was a loud bang, a sickening moment of unbelievable pressure and then she was falling back into the truck.  
  
"What.did you...do?"  
  
Cordy rubbed her hand over her sore neck and gasped the words out as Fred swung the truck onto the road and pressed her foot to the floor once more. The dark haired girl stared into the mirror and satisfied they weren't being followed flicked a glance at her friend  
  
"There was a low branch on a tree. Y'all couldn't have fought him off when he's that angry so I drove at it and kerplooie!"  
  
Willow sank in a trembling mass against the seat and echoed weakly  
  
"Kerplooie?" "Uh-huh. Angel road kill."  
  
Cordelia gave a shaky laugh  
  
"Kerplooie, gotta remember that. What the hell happened back there? Willow?"  
  
Willow shook her head and twisted trembling fingers into a knot  
  
"We were at the bar and Lindsey told us he'd seen Spike so we left and then saw Gunn. Then the screaming started."  
  
Fred gripped the steering wheel and said quietly  
  
"He was mad." "Hun, I think we can safely say they were all pretty annoyed. Will, Angel touched me and he didn't die."  
  
Willow nodded and tried desperately to get her thoughts in order  
  
"I..I think that the curse is being controlled by Lilah, she said it'd work differently, I think it's only got the juice to be used once over so many people. Gunn touched me too." She frowned as Fred gasped and said firmly "He's ok. Well, I had to hit him and he might be a bit bruised, but he's ok."  
  
The Texan sagged in relief  
  
"Thank god."  
  
Cordelia rubbed her sore neck again  
  
"Don't thank him just yet, we still have to make sure we lose them for good. Any thoughts?" "Just keep driving. Gunn told me everyone's here, we can't risk them finding us again." "Shit. Everyone?" "That's what the man said."  
  
Cordelia leaned her head wearily against the seat back  
  
"Fred, just keep going."  
  
Spike had missed most of the fun. As soon as he'd realised that the first gunshot into the mirror behind the bar had probably been a diversion he'd run for the back exit and the car lot. He'd missed Angel being shot and Gunn's humiliating defeat by Willow but he'd managed a ringside seat for Angel being squashed like a bug by a low hanging branch. Ignoring the terrified, yelling humans he'd made for a row of motorbikes and ripped the guard chain from a powerful looking hog. Making short work of hotwiring it, he'd leapt on board and roared over to his grandsire as he lay stunned on the floor  
  
"Going to follow them. I'll give you a call when we stop."  
  
Angel raised his head as Spike tore out of the lot in a cloud of dust and rubber, yelling over his shoulder  
  
"Keep your bloody phone on!"  
  
The older vampire let his head fall back and stared up at the night sky as he thought of Cordelia and Willow beating at him with their weapons and, in particular, of Cordy as she's attacked him in the club  
  
"I'm going to kill her."  
  
He rolled painfully to his feet and hobbled off to find Gunn, unaware of the pair of worried eyes watching him leave. Lindsey waited in the cab of his truck until the Angelmobile had roared past him with a grim-faced Angel and Gunn in it and then turned over his own engine and swung out onto the road.  
  
Gotta find the girls  
They kept going all through the night and all the next day, taking turns behind the wheel and doubling back on themselves until they were convinced nothing short of god himself could have tracked them. Cordelia groaned as she swung off the road and into the lot of a shabby looking motel.  
  
"Ok, end of the line. If I don't pee soon it's there's gonna be a pressing need for Noah and his Ark in here."  
  
Willow summoned up a half-hearted giggle  
  
"Nice picture." "Let's get checked in."  
  
They tumbled out of the truck and sucked in grateful lungfuls of fresh air. Fred stretched and moaned as her joints popped and snapped  
  
"I'm thinking the next time I go on the run with you guys we get a Winnebago. That truck just isn't made for the long term running in panic."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes and gave a huff of impatient breath  
  
"I keep telling you guys, we aren't running in panic we're.." "Exploring our options."  
  
Willow and Fred finished her sentence and laughed softly. Cordy gave them a grin  
  
"See, now you're getting it. Grab your bags girls and let's go get us some shut eye."  
  
Willow passed her bag to Fred and climbed back into the driver's seat  
  
"I'm gonna go park around back. Just in case."  
  
Cordelia watched the truck disappear around the side of the motel and then motioned for Fred to follow her  
  
"Come on. Shower, food and bed. In that order."  
  
Angel swung the car to the side of the road and watched as Cordelia and Fred moved out of sight into the Motel lobby.  
  
"Got 'em." "Not yet we don't."  
  
Gunn stared grimly out the window and flexed his big hands. When he got hold of Fred he was gonna...  
  
"What's the plan, Peaches?"  
  
Spike spoke up from the backseat and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Willow re-appear from around the back and follow her friends into the building. All three together and alive, thank the Lo..well, whoever.  
  
He'd followed them the previous night for hours, the lights off on the bike and hanging well back so the noise of the powerful engine wouldn't reach them on the deserted roads they had stuck to. Gunn and Angel had met him just before dawn and they'd ditched the bike and he and Angel had gone under cover on the back seat as Gun had taken over the tailing of their quarry.  
  
All through the long day on the road Spike had listened to the various threats and promises that had flown back and forth between the other two men as they'd discussed how they would deal with the girls when they got their hands on them. Angel had definitely been the most vocal whilst his bullet wound had healed. The raw wound on the side of his neck had slowly closed over during the day until it was finally just a faint red line above his collar when they'd cleaned the blood off.  
  
Spike stared at the entrance to the motel and tried to think of what he'd say to Willow when he saw her. It was all right for the other two, they had some basis for being angry, what did he have? A tenuous friendship based on years of not quite succeeding in killing her. Oh yeah, that was gonna cut some ice he could tell.  
  
He blinked and shook off the despondent thoughts as Angel spoke  
  
"Give 'em a couple of hours to get settled in and drop their guards, then we'll move in and grab them."  
  
Gunn nodded and shifted on his seat, trying to get comfortable for the long wait. He glanced at the clock on the dash. Just gone ten, the place would be mostly bedded down for the night about midnight. He gave a feral grin as he stared out into the dark  
  
All the better to kidnap your ass, my dear  
Willow shifted uncomfortably on the bed and watched as the hands on her travel alarm clock ticked over to midnight. She sighed and sat up, raking rough hands through her mop of red hair. She'd gone to bed an hour before but Morpheus obviously had other business tonight because she was still wide-awake and not so much as sniffing at the coat tails of a dream.  
  
Typically stupid man. Never there with the good stuff when you need him.  
  
She swung out of the bed and dragged her clothes back on. Moving quickly and quietly she slipped out of her room and headed down to the truck to grab the herbal sleeping tablets she kept in the glove box. Angel stepped out of the small janitors closet he'd pushed the guys into when he'd heard Willow's door open and watched her disappear around the corner  
  
"Spike.." "On it."  
  
The blonde vampire melted down the corridor and vanished after his prey. Angel sniffed the air in the confined space and pointed to a door a little down from where they were, mouthing silently to Gunn  
  
"That one."  
  
Gunn nodded, checked they were still on their own and then moved quickly into position, the key they'd lifted from the reception desk whilst Angel had distracted the clerk clasped in his hand. Angel sniffed the air again  
  
There!  
  
He stepped in front of the door next to Fred's and nodded at Gunn  
  
"One, two, three."  
  
He gripped the door handle and twisted sharply, smirking when he heard the lock snap. Gunn silently turned the key and with a last nod at Angel disappeared into Fred's room.  
  
Cordelia jumped as she heard a sharp crack come from the doorway. She reached for her axe and edged towards the door, coming to a halt just as Angel pushed it open. For a second they stood staring at each other and then Cordelia spat  
  
"You are SO not invited."  
  
Angel grinned  
  
"Ask me if I care."  
  
Her eyes widened in horror as he stepped across the threshold and into her room. Angel's grin widened as he winked at her and said jovially  
  
"Public place. Ooops!"  
  
Cordelia gasped as he made a lightening move and snatched the axe from her hand, Angel tossed it casually behind her on the floor and took another step closer, eyes narrowing in satisfaction as she backed up  
  
"Now, where were we before you had me shot? Oh yeah, just about here I think."  
  
He lifted his hands and reached for her as she backed away.  
End Part 7. 


	10. Over The Next Horizon 10

Title: Over The Next Horizon Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or life in exile. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: None that I'm aware of. Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: Jen, there in the clinch with the little red correctional pen and the endless encouragement. Mel and Ina, for not stopping with the f/b and pointed remarks how just how long it takes me to finish eps. The rest of the gang on line, thank you for all the encouragement and begging for more. You insane people, you.  
  
A/N: Yes, I know it looks like there's a lot of scenes missing, it's a cunning ploy to keep you hooked and reading until all is reve...Bugger, ok its not. It's actually a cunning ploy to let Angel and the boys actually get in on the action. No Mel, I said IN on the action NOT get some action! ::rolls eyes:: Perv.  
  
Part eight.  
Angel slammed the door shut behind him and snarled  
  
"Oh no you don't!"  
  
Cordelia made a desperate break for the window. She hated herself for the scream that burst from her as his arms closed about her like a steel trap and cursed his enhanced speed and reflexes as she flew through the air and bounced on the bed. Her breath whooshed out of her as he landed firmly on top and ruthlessly pinned her arms to the mattress on either side of her head  
  
"You. Are. Going. Nowhere!"  
  
She flinched at the furious tone and struggled fruitlessly for a moment before stilling beneath him and glaring up with defiant eyes. Angel glared back and noted at the back of his mind the black circles under her eyes and the dulled colour of her complexion. Her body felt thinner and more delicate and she carried a new scar on her collarbone that was a livid red against her paled skin.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you Cordelia? I've chased you across country twice, been shot at and you and your stupid little friends attack me! What the hell is going on?"  
  
Cordy remained silent and then jumped as a scream echoed through the night. Fred!  
Fred stared in disbelief at Gunn as he stood stock still at the foot of her bed and closed her mouth after her terrified and instinctive scream. Her mind raced furiously for several tense seconds and then she flung herself at the tall grim faced man  
  
"Charles. Oh Charles I missed you!"  
  
Gunn stumbled back under her slight weight and then his arms came up to crush her to him. Whatever reaction he had been expecting after nearly three months chasing his runaway girl it hadn't been this one. One hand crept up to tangle in her long dark hair and he pulled her head back and brought his lips to hers. Fred sank into the kiss feeling tears well up at the familiar sensations and slowly brought one small hand up to caress the side of his face as he kissed her with furious hunger and desperation. He brought his head back with a gasp and stared into her watery eyes.  
  
"Fred what the hell is going on?"  
  
Her mouth trembled briefly and then firmed with resolve  
  
"I'll explain everything. Let me show you."  
  
She pulled away from him and he let her go slowly and watched her as she crossed to the dresser under the window. She opened the small toiletries bag there and reached inside to draw a small plastic pouch out. She turned back to him and whispered  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He frowned as she tipped the contents into her palm and then understanding showed on his face and he was moving but far, far too late. Fred took a deep breath then, as Willow had shown her, flung the powder into his face and shouted  
  
"Sleep!"  
  
The effect was dramatic and instantaneous. Gunn froze and then with a last accusing look his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed to the floor. Fred's chest heaved as she fought a rising sob and she ran to the bathroom to wash the spelled dust from her hands. When she was sure the last of the powder had gone she sank to the floor sobbing loudly and rocking in place with her arms wrapped tight around her. She brought herself under control after a few minutes and gradually her sobs quietened and she began to think again.  
  
If Gunn was here then so were Angel and Spike and god alone knew who else, they might be with her friends now. She shuddered as she remembered the furious looks on the men's faces when they gave them the night before and was too scared to dwell on what they might be doing to the girls now. She stood, her slender body firming with purpose. First things first.  
  
She moved back to the bedroom and began to hurriedly pack her things. She kept her eyes away from Gunn where he lay on the floor and moved quickly and quietly around the room. When her small bag was packed she crossed to the window and threw it out to land with a soft thump on the ground below. She jumped as Gunn moaned quietly and turned to see him weakly try to raise his head from the carpet eyes trying to focus on her. Without giving herself time to think she grabbed the curtain tie back from beside her and ran to him. With a small grunt she rolled him onto his stomach and pulled his hand behind his back tying them tightly with the velveteen cord. When she had tied the knots off as tight as she could she rolled him over to find furious black eyes desperately trying to focus on her. She reached up onto the bed for the towel she had used earlier and twisted it to make a gag  
  
"Wait."  
  
The weak whisper stilled her for a moment and she clenched and unclenched her hands on the cloth as she swallowed nervously  
  
"Wherever you go.there's nowhere I can't."  
  
He swallowed and focused on her intently for a moment  
  
"I'll find you Fred."  
  
Fred whimpered at his words and then she brought the towel around his head and fumbled as she tried to get the thick material to bend into a knot. His strength was returning quickly but he didn't fight her just kept his eyes on her face the whole while. Finally she was done and she stood in a jerky movement and crossed to the door. She paused and then glanced back over her shoulder at the man on the floor  
  
"Don't come after me Charles. I don't want you and I don't love you. I don't want that life any more."  
  
She turned so he wouldn't see her face as the tears started to flow and grabbed her knapsack as she hurried out the door to aid Cordy and Willow.  
Willow didn't scream. She jumped and said a filthy word very, very loudly when Spike sprang out in front of her in the darkened motel car lot but she didn't scream. Then she said the filthy word again. Spike grinned  
  
"Hallo Red. Long time no see."  
  
Willow, the veteran of a thousand Sunnydale battles, moved into the more open area so she didn't get boxed in and said calmly  
  
"Go away Spike. Now." "Now, now Red. There's no need to be like that. Your knights in shining armour are here to take you home."  
  
Willow scowled unimpressed  
  
"Go away Spike and take the others with you. We don't need rescuing."  
  
Spike raised one sardonic eyebrow and made an exaggerated glance at their surroundings  
  
"I wouldn't say that love, would you? Not exactly the Beverly Wiltshire is it?"  
  
Willow flexed her fingers at her side and prepared to run  
  
"I don't want to hurt you Spike. Leave us alone."  
  
He smirked and stared pointedly at her slim body and then flexed his arms  
  
"Well love, can't say I'm overly concerned about that. What with you being human and a girl and all."  
  
Willow raised her chin and shot forward. Spike had to admit she was impressive. If he hadn't have been a vampire and a bit ahead of the game in the old super speed stakes she might have made it. As it was she got three paces before he snagged her 'round the waist and spun her to heave her over his shoulder.  
  
Willow cursed long and loud as he loped into the darkness with her heading for Angel's car and then she gasped as he smacked her firmly on the rear.  
  
"Now, now none of that girlie. Just you stay nice and quiet and let old Spikey look after you." Willow stared in disbelief at the ground  
  
"That hurt but you're still..still.."  
  
Spike grinned to himself at the shocked tone of her voice and tried to ignore the way her butt cheek rubbed against his face and the warmth of her skin through her skirt  
  
"Bin' fixed. Peaches knows a guy who knows a girl that owes someone a favour and she got me all de-chipped and all. Bonus eh!"  
  
Willow groaned and raised her head slightly from where it bounced against his back  
  
"Spike you have no idea what you're doing. Go home."  
  
Spike ground to a halt by Angel's car and took a moment to let Willow slide slowly down his body until her toes just touched the floor and then he gripped her arms firmly, keeping her from finding her balance, and said seriously  
  
"Tell me. Explain it to me and I swear I'll help you, Red."  
  
Willow stared into his intent blue eyes and just for a moment she was tempted and then she remembered the danger they were all in  
  
"Spike I don't want you near me. Any of you. I have things to work out and I need the time to do that without you all creeping about me like I'm gonna explode if you say the wrong thing. Go away and stay away."  
  
Spike's face twitched in irritation but when he spoke his voice was mild, almost gentle  
  
"Bullshit. You think we don't know something's up? You take off out of the blue with the cheerleader and the human mouse and you thought we'd all just shrug and go about our business? Please Red, give us some credit."  
  
Willow caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and stared sadly into his comfortingly familiar face  
  
"Apparently I didn't give you enough. I'm sorry; I won't make that mistake again. Goodbye Spike."  
  
The vampire frowned and then sensed an abrupt movement behind him and turned allowing Fred to catch him squarely across the temple with a branch as thick as Angel's wrist. He went down without a sound and Willow stepped back as he fell at her feet. She stared across his body at Fred who stood with the branch still raised as though he would spring up at any moment  
  
"Way to go batter."  
  
Fred dropped the branch and began to shake  
  
"Y'all think he'll be alright?" Willow gave a halfhearted grin at her friend  
  
"Have a hell of a headache but he'll be fine. You got anything to tie him up with?"  
  
Fred reached into the car and without taking her eyes from the prone body at her feet tugged out the black holdall she knew Angel kept under his seat  
  
"Always prepared."  
  
Willow rummaged in the bag and finally drew out a pair of black matt handcuffs. She bent quickly and snapped them on the blonde vampire and then said  
  
"Quick help me roll him under the car before someone sees."  
  
Fred obligingly helped shove Spike awkwardly under the car and then the girls stood and stared back at the motel. Fred took the holdall from Willow and drew out two tasers.  
  
"Gunn's here, too. I...I took care of him but I think Angel might be still in there with Cordy."  
  
Willow sent the older girl a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand quickly  
  
" You didn't see any of the others?" Fred shook her head "Let's go get her then and then get the hell out of Dodge."  
  
She reached into her back pocket for the flick knife she was never without these days and moved swiftly around the car puncturing all the tires.  
  
"That ought to hold them for a while. Let's go."  
Cordy lay still pinned under Angel and was torn between sheer terror and white hot fury that he had taken her down so easily. The vampire glared down at his seer and repeated himself for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes  
  
"Cordelia what's going on?"  
  
He smirked as she twisted suddenly beneath him and increased the pressure on her wrists just enough to make her gasp  
  
"I'm not letting you go until I find out what's happening."  
  
His voice softened and deepened  
  
"Cordelia, please. Whatever it is I can help you. Trust me."  
  
He moved her arms so both wrists were clasped in one large hand and with the other gently stroked the side of her face  
  
"You look so tired. Just tell me what trouble you're in and I'll make it all go away."  
  
Just for a second Cordelia found herself weakening as she stared into the beloved brown eyes above her and she unconsciously turned her face into his caress and then she remembered the horrible deaths promised to her friends and she stiffened once again  
  
"Angel get the hell off me and get over yourself. Just because Buffy moped after you for years doesn't mean that a real woman will. I want my own life without you in it. Now get off."  
  
She bucked underneath him and Angel felt a shameful tug of lust as her groin unintentionally mashed into his. The scent she was giving off was intoxifying. Fear, anger, helplessness; all ambrosia to the seasoned hunter. He pushed down on her wrists again and pushed his groin into hers as he leant down to whisper in her ear  
  
"Fight me Cordy. I've been chasing you for months and I really want you to fight me. I want to watch you trapped and desperate and knowing that you go nowhere unless I say. Scream and fight and scratch little cat and know that you are mine and I will never, never let you go."  
  
She gasped and froze under him and slowly he leaned back until his eyes and lips were only inches from hers and then he drew his tongue over her lower lip.  
  
"I'm never letting you go again."  
  
And he grinned as she began to tremble.  
  
Willow and Fred took a few precious seconds to stop by Willow's room and bag up her belongings. With Willow's bag safely dropped out of the window, they headed for Cordelia's room gripping their tazers, their faces set and scared. They paused outside the door and stared at each other for a few moments and then as one reached for the door handle. Fred gripped Willow's wrist tightly as a white light shone out from under the door and lit up the hallway with its brightness and Willow shivered as she felt the power crawl over her and then as suddenly as it appeared it was gone. The two girls froze and then Willow turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.  
  
Cordelia lay on the bed under Angel twisting frantically to free herself from his grip but the vampire stayed still above her, eyes locked forward and muscles rigid with tension. Cordy turned her head as she heard two simultaneous gasps and her eyes met Fred's and she said frantically  
  
"Help me! I don't know how long he'll be like this and I can't get free."  
  
The two girls leapt forward and began to pull at Angel's hands. For a few moments it looked hopeless and then Cordelia felt them give just a little and she wrenched her wrists down. She pushed at Angel's shoulders and he toppled to lie on the bed beside her  
  
"Cordy what did you do?"  
  
Fred whispered the words as she took in the expression of lust and male satisfaction on her former boss' frozen face  
  
"Not what you're thinking, trust me."  
  
Cordelia spoke harshly as she tried to calm her speeding heart and moved to throw her belongings into her carryall. She took a quick glance around the room to make sure nothing was left behind and then snatched up her car keys refusing to look at Angel again  
  
"We need to split. Where are the other two?"  
  
Willow turned away from Angel and grabbed Fred's arm propelling her after Cordelia as she exited the room  
  
"Dealt with. I don't know how long for though."  
  
Cordelia nodded as she began to run down the hallway  
  
"Then let's pick it up."  
  
Angel blinked and stared for a moment at the ceiling above him and then with a furious growl he sprang off the bed and through the door. She froze him! The conniving, devious, cowardly little bitch froze him. He paused briefly as he caught Gunn's scent and then flung open the door to Fred's room, revealing his friend trussed up like a turkey. With another low growl he hauled the young man to his feet and ripped through his bindings like they were paper. Gunn wasted no time in tearing the towel from his mouth  
  
"Less than a minute. They're making a break for it."  
  
Angel nodded and they ran out into the hallway the vampire easily picking up their scents.  
Cordelia flung open the door to the truck and jumped inside hastily jamming the key in the ignition. She gave a small offering of thanks as the temperamental engine caught first time and then without waiting for Fred to slam the door behind her shoved the car into reverse and stomped on the gas. Fred and Willow squealed as they went flying in the back seat and Willow managed to grab the wildly swinging door and shut it with a crash  
  
"Jeez Cordy what the.."  
  
She broke off as she stared out the back window and Angel and Gunn pounded out of the hotel  
  
"Step on it! They're coming! God, Cordy they're coming!"  
  
Willow's voice pitched into hysteria as she saw the furious looks both men wore as they bore down on the truck. Fred spun round on the seat and trembled as she saw Gunn only a few feet from the truck, his eyes fixed on her. Her shaking increased as he scowled and put on an extra burst of speed drawing level with Angel for a few seconds who was nearly brushing the back of the truck with his fingers.  
  
Both girls screamed as they suddenly flew forward when the truck screeched to a halt and the two men following ended up smashing into the passenger side of the car. They bounced back off and lay on the floor for a few seconds and Cordelia was off again roaring out onto the road and into the night.  
  
Gunn raised his head and stared after the departing taillights and then pushed himself up onto his elbows.  
  
"What the hell just happened?"  
  
Angel sat up beside him groaning  
  
"They hit us with a truck!"  
  
He staggered to his feet and pulled Gunn up with him  
  
"We need to get to the car. Come on."  
  
He stopped as a low pained voice said  
  
"Not a lot of point, Peaches. The witch took out your tyres."  
  
Angel stared around  
  
"Spike? Where are you?"  
  
A blonde head slowly appeared over the bonnet of a station wagon and then bit-by-bit shoulders and a body appeared. Angel blinked  
  
"Where'd your arms go?"  
  
Spike turned and showed his two companions his arms still firmly held behind his back  
  
"Red and the little mouse knocked me out and when I woke up."  
  
He shrugged good-naturedly  
  
"Ah well it's not the first time it's happened. Your little girlie's not as fragile as you think mate. Hell of a swing on her she has."  
  
Gunn's mouth dropped open  
  
"Fred did that? My Fred?"  
  
Spike grinned and sighed with relief as Angel fished the keys to the cuffs from his pocket and released him  
  
"The one and only. All eyes and hair yeah? Swung at me like she was hitting one out of the park."  
  
Angel moved impatiently off towards his car  
  
"We need to follow them. We need to catch them and we need to."  
  
His voice trailed off and he scowled blackly at the ground finishing darkly  
  
"We need to find them."  
  
Spike and Gunn exchanged looks and followed him wisely keeping silent but Spike couldn't prevent the grin spreading over his face when he heard Angel cursing at the state of his car. Gunn huffed an impatient breath at the smile on the vampire's face  
  
"Glad you're having such a good time, Lestat Jr. They gave us the slip again, took us all out and then ran over us with a truck as they got away. And we still ain't no closer to figurin' out what's going on."  
  
Spike glanced up into the angry and hurt black eyes  
  
"What did you expect? They've been on the run for months; we show up and they're going to swoon and throw themselves into our strong manly arms? Yeah right. I don't know your little chit but I know the witch and Cordelia. Those two never back down and they never quit. Whatever they're running from is bad. Bad enough that they think they need to draw it away from everyone they love and run for the hills. Whatever it is we'll find it and we'll stop it but first we need to follow the little bints and pin them down this time so they can't get away."  
  
He paused as Angel savagely kicked a flat tyre and then continued  
  
"And just for the record they didn't hit you with a truck. You two hit their truck with you. I jumped out in front of Cordelia and she swerved to avoid me and clipped me with the wing. If it's any consolation they were all very upset as they hightailed it out of here."  
  
Gunn snorted and thought of Fred's white face as she stared at him from the truck seat and said grimly  
  
"They think they're upset now? Wait till I get my hands on them. I'll make them sorry they ever got born."  
  
Spike grinned  
  
"That's what I like to hear, good old fashioned empty threats!"  
  
They both turned to look at Angel as he came and stood beside them  
  
"I've called for a mechanic he'll be here in an hour."  
  
Spike grinned again as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box  
  
"Never fear chaps, Spike is here. And they won't get far with a tracer on their chassis."  
  
Angel stared down at the beeping device in his childe's hand and a slow cold smile spread across his face  
  
"Spike you never cease to amaze me. When did you do that?" "Right in between waking up and jumping in front of a fast moving vehicle. I figured we needed some insurance."  
  
The three men exchanged grim looks and stared along the road their women had disappeared on. Soon. Very, very soon.  
  
End Part 8. 


	11. Over The Next Horizon 11

Title: Over The Next Horizon (9/?) Author: Karen Email: karen@klewis91.fsnet.co.uk Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Just the story I'm afraid. Feedback: Yes please. Pairing: A/C, W/S, Fr/Gu, Timeline: After season six Archiving: If you want it take it just tell me where it ends up. Synopsis: Three months after Angel has been rescued from the deep, Cordy has floated back down and Spike has been souled; Cordelia, Willow and Fred are faced with a difficult choice. The lives of the people they love or life in exile. Guess which one they choose? Rating: Overall an R I think? Spoilers: None that I'm aware of. Summary: Humour, Angst, Romance and lots of bloody bits of other people's bodies if Spike gets his way. (Let's face it he will. Who could refuse that man anything?)  
  
Dedications: Jen, for her usual outstanding job with the betaing, Mel, Wic, Lady, TW, Scribe and Danel. Spike's Angels RULE! The rest of the unruly mob on-line who have all been very sweet and supportive. Thanks guys. Special mention to Ina who appears to have dropped off the face of the earth. Come back we miss you!  
  
A/N: Lindsey, Connor and the others will be in the next ep. They're having a few problems at the moment but assure me all will be sorted by the next time they're needed.  
Part 9.  
  
Cordelia kept her foot pressed to the gas and her eyes firmly on the road. They had been driving for an hour and they had only just started to calm down. Fred sat huddled on the back seat, eyes fixed to the road behind them alert to any signs of a tail and Willow sat beside Cordelia trying to make sense of the map in her hands. She gave an impatient huff of breath and threw the map to the floor  
  
"I think we're out of state but I can't be sure."  
  
Cordelia nodded  
  
"Where to now? We need to get under cover soon."  
  
Willow shrugged and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears  
  
"Not another motel that's for sure. Way too easy to trace."  
  
She glanced behind her at Fred  
  
"What about you Fred, any preferences?"  
  
The dark haired girl spoke without taking her eyes from the road  
  
"I think we ought to pull off the road and into the trees. They won't be expecting that and might drive on by until sunup. When sun rise hits we can double back and head in the opposite direction."  
  
Cordelia nodded approvingly  
  
"Good idea. We'll have at least twelve hours on them by tomorrow night."  
  
She stared ahead of her and saw a dirt road in the headlights of the truck. She glanced into her rear views and, satisfied no one was behind, her swung the vehicle onto the narrow strip and killed her speed, not keen on taking the bottom off the truck on the uneven surface. They followed the track in silence for nearly ten minutes and then it opened out suddenly into a clearing and there before them was a log cabin. Willow blinked  
  
"Jeepers! Someone must live down here."  
  
Cordelia scanned the area and shook her head  
  
"I don't think so. It looks pretty wrecked."  
  
Fred stared around as the others leaned forward and had to agree with Cordelia. Even discounting the state of the road leading to the cabin, the grass around it was growing wild and weeds and creepers flowed unchecked over the house and its windows. There was an air of neglect and desolation about the place and she shivered suddenly.  
  
"Let's go back up the trail and drive on for a while. There might be somewhere better." Cordelia gave a short laugh  
  
"Can I draw your attention to us being on the lam? We're going to spend the night in the woods in our car. If there's a chance we can do it stretched out on a level surface I'm taking it. I don't care how Hansel and Gretally the place looks."  
  
Willow gave a nervous giggle  
  
"'Cos we both know how well that worked out last time."  
  
Cordelia paused in jumping from the truck and glared over her shoulder at her friend  
  
"Shut up, Willow."  
  
Willow grinned and then opened her own door  
  
"Cm'on Fred. Cordy's right, it's not like we have a lot of options right now."  
  
Fred looked out of the windows once again and then opened her door as she saw the other two march confidently up to the cabin and begin peering in the windows  
  
"Hey! Wait up y'all. Don't leave me here."  
  
She jumped out of the truck and almost stumbled as the wild grass caught and pulled at her legs. She caught herself on the car door and then her eyes went wide  
  
"Hey, y'all met Hansel and Gretal? When did that happen? And why is it a bad thing?"  
  
She slammed the car door and made her way through the grass to her friends  
  
"Why are two kids from a fairy story bad news? Guys?"  
Angel handed over a wad of cash to the mechanic and nodded his thanks and then headed back to where Spike and Gunn stood sorting through the trunk of the car. Spike held up a long thin object and looked at it appraisingly  
  
"What do you think? Will this drop her before she has time to put the whammy on us?"  
  
Gunn rolled his eyes and snatched the tranquilliser gun out of the smaller man's hands  
  
"We are not shooting Cordelia." "The hell we're not! That little bint has the power to stop us in our tracks anytime we get too close and I am not going to spend the rest of my nights in stop/start mode."  
  
Gunn scowled and opened his mouth to reply but Angel interrupted him before he could speak "Spike's right. We need to take them down and keep them down and the only way to do it is to take out Cordelia. She's the wild card."  
  
He took the gun from his outraged friend and turned it in his hands reflectively  
  
"Besides she shot me. Spike, are you sure Willow can't use magic?"  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow  
  
"I don't think the Slayer'll be right happy if you shoot her best mate, Peaches."  
  
Angel looked calmly into his old hunting partner's eyes  
  
"That's not what I asked. No, Buffy won't be happy if I shoot Willow but she'll be a lot less happy if I let her disappear without a trace or I just send her back Willow's body. Now, can she use magic?"  
  
Spike stared at the floor for a moment and then said slowly  
  
"She can't channel it but she got right good towards the end there and there's nothing stopping her telling one of the others what to do."  
  
Angel nodded  
  
"Cordelia goes down first and if Willow even looks like she might be coaching Fred in a spell shoot her. I don't want them giving us the slip again."  
  
Spike stared grimly into Angel's eyes and nodded and then both vampires turned to look at Gunn. He thought of Fred's white face as they drove away and her frantic arms when she launched herself at him in her hotel room. He nodded and Angel gave a small grin and drawled in an exaggerated hillbilly accent  
  
"Then let's go hunt us some women."  
Cordelia sat back on her heels and gave a small cheer as the paper in the grate finally caught and the flames began to lick against the wood piled on top. She held her hands out, grateful for the small amount of heat and shivered as she remembered Angel's face back at the motel. In all the time she had known him he had never, ever, spoken to her or treated her that way. Since their enforced parting over the summer they had trodden carefully around each other and had yet to raise the subject of their feelings. She admitted she still wanted and loved him and although she had caught him watching her with impenetrable eyes on occasion, she truly believed that he was resigned to leaving their romantic issues unresolved. She closed her eyes and his face rose up before her, twisted with anger and passion as it had been earlier and she rubbed her wrists where he had gripped her.  
  
No, definitely not resigned to letting sleeping dogs lie. The way he had looked earlier he was not only prepared to wake the sleepy dogs up but kick them round the yard and turn the hose on them too. She shivered again and stood up, carefully schooling her face into a bright smile as she turned to face the two girls huddled together on the sagging, dusty sofa  
  
"Well, we aren't going to freeze at least. How's everybody doing?"  
  
Willow smiled at her and flicked concerned eyes towards Fred who sat staring blankly at the floor  
  
"We're good."  
  
Cordelia stared at the dark haired girl for a moment and then said gently  
  
"Fred, honey, are you ok?"  
  
Fred raised sad eyes to the seer and said quietly  
  
"I told Charles I didn't love him."  
  
She raised her fingers to her mouth and nervously began to chew on her nails, a habit Cordelia was sure that she had stopped not long after they brought her back from Pylea  
  
"I threw that dust at him, knocked him out, tied him up and then I told him I didn't love him. What have I done, y'all?"  
  
Cordelia crossed to her quickly and dropped to her knees, taking the smaller woman's hands in hers  
  
"You did what you had to. We all did. Fred, look at me."  
  
She waited until two black pools of misery stared at her and then said firmly  
  
"If you hadn't done what you did, then Gunn's life would have been in danger, it's as simple as that. I know its tough, but it's better that he's alive and hurting than lying dead somewhere."  
  
She took a deep steadying breath  
  
"I said things to Angel tonight that I didn't want to because I have to keep him safe. We just have to trust that when we finally beat this thing and we go home they love us enough to listen to our side of things before judging our choices and us. Ok?"  
  
Fred nodded and straightened bolstered by Cordelia's calmly confident words. She smiled a little shakily but Cordy could see the renewed resolve in her limpid eyes  
  
"Ok. We're Scoobies right? We don't get beaten, we do the beatin'!"  
  
Cordelia laughed and hugged her friends to her tightly  
  
"Damn straight. Now I think we should see if we have anything worth eating with us then crash and try to get some sleep."  
  
Willow nodded and crossed to where they dumped their bags and began to open them one by one  
  
"Good plan, Cordy. I'll take first watch. Just in case."  
Two hours later and all was silent in the small cabin and Willow stared out into the night and thought of home. It was coming up to the busiest time of the night for slayage and she wondered how Buffy was doing with the ranks of the Scoobies so severely depleted. With both herself and Spike on the road that only left Xander, Anya, Giles and Dawn to back Buffy up on the hellmouth and she shivered as she thought of the dangers her friends could be facing without her. She glanced around the small room behind her taking in the remnants of the broken furniture and the cracked and dusty walls and floor and her two friends huddled together on the floor for warmth on a pile of discoloured tarpaulins. The fading light of Cordelia's fire sent flickering shadows racing around the room and she felt a bittersweet pang as she thought of a hundred nights spent with Tara just watching a fire dance for them in the grate. She turned to the window again and turned her face to the heavens briefly  
  
Goodnight love.  
  
She shivered as a breeze blew through the window and she pulled her light jacket more tightly around her and then yelled out and fell off the sill as a huge shadow reared up before her. The effect on Cordelia and Fred was dramatic. They bolted upright screaming in surprise and then scrambled up as Willow rolled to her feet and scurried to stand with them. Cordelia's mouth fell open as she watched Gunn drop lightly through the window  
  
"Good evening ladies."  
  
She wasted no more time on surprise and instead spun Willow and Fred 'round and pushed them before her heading for the back door. All three ground to a halt at the sight of Angel moving swiftly to block the doorway all but filling it with his large frame. He folded his arms and fixed his eyes on Cordelia a grim smile playing around his lips.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
Cordelia glanced at Fred as the previously shy scientist spat the curse and raised a surprised eyebrow  
  
Well, well. Pollyanna's all grown up  
  
Her eyes fell on the warped wooden wall running along the back of the house and she took a firm grip on each girl's arm  
  
I'm about to do something really, really dumb or really, really smart. God I hope it's smart.  
  
She took a deep breath and ran at the wall, pulling Willow and Fred with her. They realised her intent inches before they hit and all three turned and threw themselves backwards into the rotten wood.  
  
Gunn blinked in surprise and then lit out after them as they crashed through the wall. As he burst through the hole and saw them scramble to their feet he remembered to yell loudly  
  
"Angel, Spike you're invited. Just in case."  
  
Cordelia gulped in the cool night air and pushed to her feet, dragging Willow and Fred up with her. She took off towards the trees and then faltered just for a moment as Spike stepped out in front of her and raised one of Angel's tranq guns, she grinned as she remembered his chip and lengthened her stride again.  
  
Willow watched as Cordelia ran at full speed towards Spike and her eyes widened in horror as he pointed a gun at her. She had forgotten to tell them about the chip and Cordelia thought he was bluffing! She opened her mouth to shout a warning and then screamed in horror as Spike fired with an evil grin. Fred crashed into her as she froze, memories of the day Tara died flooding over her, immobilising her feet and mind. Fred was no less horrified as she watched Cordelia drop like a stone but she retained the presence of mind to start moving again. She grabbed hold of Willow's sleeve  
  
"Come on!"  
  
She pulled Willow after her and fled into the trees ignoring Gunn's angry shout  
  
"Fred stop! Just stop right there!"  
  
Fred's breath started to hitch as she heard crashing behind her and she knew that with a vampire's enhanced night vision they wouldn't last long. She stopped and faced Willow  
  
"If we stay together they'll get us. Run Willow!"  
  
She pushed the red head and Willow stumbled and then whispered  
  
"They shot Cordy."  
  
Fred shoved her again  
  
"Run!"  
  
Not daring to waste another second, she plunged into the trees hoping Willow could get it together enough to follow her example. Her mind raced as fast as her feet as she plunged through the woodland and she started to list and examine the facts as she had been taught.  
  
They had drugged Cordy, so they had at least one of them. She didn't think they would dare to leave her unattended so drew the conclusion someone, most likely Angel, had stayed behind to guard her. That left Spike and Gunn. Gunn would come after her himself if he could. So, assuming Willow hadn't been caught already all she had to worry about was an ordinary human tracking her. An ordinary city boy human at that. She smiled grimly as she pushed her way through the scrub and trees, all she had to do was stay ahead of them until daybreak and then Spike and Angel were as good as helpless and she was fairly sure she could come up with a way to secure Gunn. She ran on into the night whispering Cordelia's words from earlier in the night  
  
"Whatever I have to do, Whatever I have to do."  
  
Spike and Gunn hit the spot where the girls had separated seconds after Willow forced herself to move. Spike gripped the taller man's arm to still him as he sniffed the air and then said  
  
"They've separated. Your girlie's heading that way."  
  
He gestured east and then nodded in the other direction  
  
"Mine went this way."  
  
Gunn nodded briefly and ran into the darkness, quickly disappearing from sight. Spike sniffed the air again and grinned to himself. Slipping silently between the trees, he moved quickly after Willow's scent.  
Angel stared down at the girl on the grass and bent to pull the drugged dart from her arm. He threw it to the ground and gently slipped his arms under her shoulders and knees and lifted her high against his, chest cradling her like a child. He frowned as he walked back into the house, uneasy at the dramatic loss of weight that became apparent as he held her close. Cordy had always been slim but never what you would call skinny but now he could feel her ribs pushing into his and the sharp edge of her hip digging into his palm.  
  
He stooped to lay her on the broken-down sofa and then took off his leather jacket and laid it over her, making sure all her limbs were tucked securely under the heavy coat. His hand came up slowly and he drew a finger lightly over the contours of her face. As the light from the fire jumped and flickered he cupped her face and rubbed his thumb gently over her slightly slack lips. His eyes were liquid with emotion as he bent down and brushed his lips over the skin his thumb had gently caressed moments before and then he straightened and bent to tend the fire in preparation for the return of his friends and their prizes.  
  
Gunn walked slowly through the woods scanning all around him for any sign of his wayward girlfriend. His chest still felt tight with hurt and annoyance at the way she had run from him all night, not least because she had drugged him and then hit him with a truck to make her point. He had calmed down enough where he could consider listening rationally to her explanation before beating the living crap out of her and/or sinking down on his bended knees and begging for a second chance. Whatever worked, he wasn't picky. He spun as he heard a twig snap behind him and strained to see through the gloom  
  
"Fred? Is that you?"  
  
He waited a beat and then said softly  
  
"Cm'on baby, you know I ain't gonna hurt you. Come on out now and let's get back to the others. Cordy'll be waking up soon and she's gonna be real mad if you ain't there."  
  
Nothing but the sounds of the woods at night greeted his words and he edged towards the general direction of the noise all the while talking in a low, soothing voice  
  
"Fred, honey, come out. I just want to make sure that you're ok so I can tell your mom and dad. They're worried about you, baby."  
  
He spun again as he heard a muffled noise come from behind him and his eyes narrowed  
  
"Oh I get it, you're playin' me right? You think that five years roughing it in a demon dimension makes you Davy Crockett or something?"  
  
He stood with his back straight and slowly turned in a circle to glare piercingly all around him  
  
"This is the last chance you get before I go postal on you. Come out here now and I will listen to what you have to say. If you make me hunt you down, well, let's just say it ain't gonna be pretty."  
  
He waited as one minute ticked by and then two and then shrugged  
  
"Ok, Fred have it your way."  
  
He walked in long easy strides through the trees and gradually picked up his pace to a graceful run, muttering to himself  
  
"You better be all that and a bit more, Crockett Jr, cos' it's getting serious now."  
Willow slipped silently through the trees blessing Buffy for six long years on patrols with nothing but the moon and stars to see by. She used all her Sunnydale skills as she moved, keeping to the shadows and avoiding brushing against anything with a strong perfume that could lead Spike to her. She stopped and stared up at the sky trying to sight a familiar constellation to give her some bearings and then her nose twitched as a very familiar smell drifted under it. She whipped round to see Spike standing not two yards from her smoking a cigarette and giving her a smug grin  
  
"Hello pet."  
  
Willow's reflexes kicked in to overdrive before her brain had assimilated the situation and she swiftly bent and grabbed a thick, and above all pointy, stick from the ground and held it loosely at her side  
  
"One move Spike and you'll be blowing in the wind."  
  
The grin slowly disappeared from Spike's face and he straightened and threw his cigarette to one side neglecting to stomp it out. Willow's eyes followed it and she frowned in disapproval  
  
Hello? Evil, big bad remember? You're, what, shocked and disappointed?  
  
He narrowed his eyes at the slender red head  
  
"Red, you don't want to do this."  
  
Willow raised her eyebrows at his warning tone and spat  
  
"Spike, you've no idea just how much I want to do this." "Red we're here to help you. Now just calm the fuck down and give me that soddin' stick before someone gets hurt." "Here to help my ass! You shot Cordelia!"  
  
Spike cursed as he heard the tremble in her voice and belatedly remembered that she had witnessed her lover shot to death only a few months before. He spread his hands wide in a conciliatory gesture and took one step forward into a beam of moonlight  
  
"Love, if I hadn't done that she would have bollocksed up our little ambush and we weren't going to let you skip on us again for another round of hide the hotties. She's not hurt. She'll wake up in a few having had a nice kip and then she can tell Peaches all about it and we can get it all fixed and take you home."  
  
Willow had a sudden mental image of Tom the cat after Jerry the mouse had lit a candle under his rear end and the steam poring out of his ears as he combusted from the pressure. She realised it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that she would soon be following his example. The absolute nerve of the undead sonofabitch! What was she? Three? Spike watched her eyes flash and narrow and felt a sliver of unease run through him. Unpracticing or not she was still a pretty powerful witch and from the looks of things he had just pissed her off mightily  
  
"Come on Red no need to get all up on your dignity. We just want you where we can keep an eye on you."  
  
Shut up, shut up, shut up!  
  
His inner Spike was battening down the hatches and screaming the place down in an effort to get the suicidal one in control of the mouth to shut up. He privately wondered that she could still see at all, her eyes had narrowed that much  
  
"I. Am. Not. A. Child." "I know love but you obviously have some major league shit happening here and we want to help."  
  
Willow took a deep breath and then another just for the hell of it, unaware of Spike's eyes flicking in appreciation to the swelling of her breasts at the movement "Is it totally beyond your comprehension that maybe, just maybe, we don't want to come back? That we might actually want something different than endlessly saving the world night after night?"  
  
Spike stifled a smirk at her words and said in a low serious voice  
  
"Red, I'm dead not stupid. The Slayer and Peaches may have a destiny an' all but you and Princess Perfect have a mission. There's no way I'm going to buy you walking away from everything you've done these last years because you suddenly have a yen for a chinless wonder and a white fence."  
  
He cocked his head to one side and said appraisingly  
  
"You've got something inside of you that has to save the world and kill all the nasties. All the moonlight flit says to me is that you've got a big one in your sights and for some reason you don't want the rest of the Scoobs pissin' on your parade."  
  
Willow stared back at him and wondered not for the first time how he knew her so well. He had done everything bar give her the name of the demon to be destroyed and stated it as calmly as he would ask for a pint of blood. She took another deep breath  
  
"Spike, go home. I don't want to stake you but I will if it means you finally getting the message."  
  
Spike nodded and his body relaxed into a defensive stance hands curled loosely at his side  
  
"Come on then, Red. Fight me and let's get this over with. I'll go easy on you."  
  
Willow's lip curled  
  
"I won't."  
Fred half stood, half crouched on a thick branch half way up a tree and watched Gunn examining the ground beneath her. She was amazingly impressed that he'd kept on her tail this long considering she'd stayed one step ahead of the best hunters on Pylea all those years and was hastily re- evaluating the ease with which she expected to ditch him. He stood slowly and then stared all around him and then just when she thought she had him fooled he tilted his head back and looked straight at her. She held her breath and resisted the urge to shut her eyes hoping against hope he would miss her amongst the leaves  
  
"Fred, come down I'm done chasing you."  
  
She exhaled slowly and swallowed  
  
"Fred, I ain't gonna tell you again. Get down here."  
  
She saw his face clearly in the moonlight as the clouds shifted and she redoubled her grip on the tree. No way was she going down there to face that. Gunn sighed impatiently and made for the tree, boosting himself into the lower branches with none of the trouble that Fred had ten minutes earlier. She scrambled upwards, casting anxious looks over her shoulder as his furious face came closer and made for the branches that looked too slender to bear his weight  
  
"Fred!"  
  
Gunn closed his mouth and counted to ten, aware that bellowing like a wounded bull wasn't the best way to convince her to stop climbing and come down. He tried again  
  
"Fred, whatever it is it can't be that bad. Talk to me. dammit!"  
  
Fred screamed as he lost his grip for a moment and dangled fifteen feet above the woodland floor and then he swung back into the tree and found his footing again  
  
"Fred, someone's gonna get seriously hurt. Come down and talk to me and then if you still want me to go I will."  
  
Fred paused and looked down at him. Sensing an opening, Gunn suppressed a surge of triumph and said in as non threatening tone as he could manage under the circumstances  
  
"Fred, I only ever lied to you that one time. I promise if you come down I will listen to what you have to say and then I will go if you still want me too. I promise." "What about Angel and your other friend? They won't go. I'm not stupid, Charles."  
  
Gunn wisely kept his opinions on that subject to himself and nodded firmly  
  
"Yes they will if I explain to them. We'll go and we won't bother you anymore I promise. Cm'on Fred what are we gonna do? Play hide and go seek all night?"  
  
He laughed shortly and then stared beseechingly up into the tree  
  
"I swear Fred, I'll go and you won't hear from me again, just let me talk to you for five minutes."  
  
He held his breath and just when he was resigning himself to climbing all the way up the goddamn tree, she said quietly  
  
"Alright. You climb down and I'll follow but just five minutes and then y'all have to leave."  
  
Gunn felt a surge of triumph and nodded  
  
"Ok baby, whatever you say."  
  
He began to ease his way back down the tree scowling as she added  
  
"And don't call me baby."  
  
Back on the ground he watched as she climbed down and then dropped onto the floor before him. She raised a hand and pushed back a strand of hair from her face eyeing him warily  
  
"Ok Charles, talk. But remember your promise."  
  
He grinned  
  
"Well Fred, that's the thing about promises. They're made to be broken."  
  
She cried out as he leapt forward wrapping his arms around her and pinning hers to her side, casually ignoring her frantically kicking feet  
  
"You promised! You swore you'd leave."  
  
He cuffed her hands behind her back in one of his and raised her face to snarl  
  
"I lied. You trust too easily, Fred. People will say anything to get what they want."  
  
His heart twisted inside of him as her eyes turned dark with betrayal and she spat bitterly  
  
"I won't make that mistake again." "Fred."  
  
She looked away and said accusingly  
  
"I trusted you."  
  
He went taut with anger and his fingers convulsed around her wrists making her yelp in surprise  
  
"Yeah? Well, right back at you. I didn't see it being a problem for you when you took off without a word and spelled me into lullaby land earlier."  
  
He shook his head and shoved her back only to bend and heave her over his shoulder grabbing one flailing arm and bringing it around his neck so she was held securely in an unbreakable fireman's grip. Fred twisted and screamed, frantically pounding on his solid back with her one free hand and kicking her legs but Gunn only shifted her higher and set off through the trees  
  
"I'd save your energy, Fred. You're going to need it."  
Spike dodged and moved behind Willow as she rushed him again. He had to admit she was proving to be a lot more capable than he thought. Having worked alongside the Slayer for six years had evidently paid off in spades.  
  
He leaned backwards as her fist shot out and swore in surprise as she hooked one small foot around his ankle and overbalanced him sending him onto his ass. He yelled as without pausing she followed him down and brought the stake towards him in a smooth arc. He rolled to the side and sprang up saying indignantly  
  
"Hey, watch it!"  
  
Willow rolled and swiftly got to her feet poised to strike again  
  
"Ok Red, you've made your point. Very Xena. Now drop the soddin' stake and stop pissing about."  
  
Willow grinned mirthlessly  
  
"What's the matter, Spike? Bitten off more than you can chew? Again."  
  
Spike scowled  
  
"You're good, witch, I'll give you that, but you're no Slayer. Give it up before I get bored and you end up getting hurt."  
  
Willow snorted  
  
"I don't think so, Spike."  
  
Spike rolled his eyes and struck, darting behind her once again and twisting her arm up her back with one hand and wrenching her head to the side with the other. She cried out in anger as he scraped along her exposed artery with blunt teeth  
  
"Bet on it love. Now be a good girl and come along quietly."  
  
Willow twisted in his grip and Spike gritted his teeth as her butt rubbed across the front of his worn denims causing a sudden unwelcome swelling. He swore and shoved her away to land on her hands and knees before him  
  
Brilliant, mate, just brilliant. That's not at all tempting is it?  
  
Willow shoved herself upright and completely disregarded the fact she'd lost her stake to run blindly at him. Spike stepped neatly to the side only to realise too late that he was nearly flush against a tree. He winced as she ran head first into the trunk and, with a loud crack, collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Willow? Are you alright pet?"  
  
He sniffed the air and caught the faintest hint of copper  
  
"Oh for fuck's sake!"  
  
He rolled her over carefully and didn't need his vampire senses to tell him she was deeply unconscious. A large purple knot was swelling above her right eye as he watched and a trickle of blood ran down the side of her face, disappearing into her hairline. He sighed and reached out a cautious hand to stroke her strawberry hair strangely amused at the fact he was upset at the sight of her lying there so helpless when at one time in his life he would have been convinced of the existence of Santa Claus to have such a tasty bite spread before him.  
  
He slipped an arm under her, raising her slowly, and then hesitantly dipped his head and brushed a tentative kiss over her forehead. He inhaled and breathed in the essence of Willow. Innocence, goodness, natural magic and just a hint of strawberries. He brushed his lips over her again and then slipped his other arm under her knees and lifted her. He moved quickly back towards the cabin, frowning uneasily down at the girl in his arms.  
  
End part 9. 


	12. Over The Next Horizon 12

Dedications: Mel, Ina and Jen, as always. Special ones to Fairie Babee, Pyro Bear, Deacon, Imzadi, Venus and all the others that are so enthusiastic over my fics. Thank you.  
  
LA, that same night.  
  
Wesley took the hand held out to him and gripped it allowing himself to be pulled easily to his feet. Connor smiled uncertainly at him and made a conscious effort to hide his gore-covered axe behind his back. Wesley sighed, "Connor, what did I tell you before we came here tonight?"  
  
Connor frowned and stared at the floor as he thought back to the Watcher's pep talk before they left the hotel. As far as he recalled it went something like. "Blah,blah,blah particularly ferocious demons that we blah blah blah. It's blah blah blah blah kill all of them blah blah blah blah." His face brightened, "Kill all the demons?"  
  
Wesley brushed a hand down his jeans in a futile bid to get rid of the demon bile that had splashed down his legs and now appeared to be setting giving him the somewhat festive appearance of a jelly mold, "No, Connor. I said we absolutely must not kill all the demons because we needed information from them."  
  
"Oh." Connor glanced around him at the pile of bodies on the floor and pointed, "I think that one might be still alive."  
  
Wesley huffed irritably, "I doubt it. The top of his head is missing and his brains appear to be leaking into the mud. Honestly Connor you must pay attention. You can't always be so gung ho about these things. A little more finesse and a little less sheer bloodthirstiness and you'll really notice the difference."  
  
He turned as another voice said, "Ah stow it Wes. The cherub's just like Angel-cakes aren't you, doll face? I think it's cute." Lorne wandered into the basement via the gaping hole in the wall that Connor had smashed earlier, swinging an axe and mopping his face with a large white handkerchief, "Well no gym for me in the morning. I think I just crammed enough butt firming exercise into ten minutes to last me a month.  
  
He stopped, then turned to step back through the hole and return a few seconds later towing Angel and Gunn behind him, "Jeez Louise, its worse than having a couple of kids." He patted the fake Angel on the head, "Don't wander off. Stay right here." Fake Angel stared blankly ahead of him as he clutched a battle-axe and gave no indication of having heard the order. Lorne smirked, "Just like the real thing. Great eye candy, dumb as a post."  
  
Connor and Wesley both sniggered before they could help themselves and then exchanged guilty looks. Connor tried for a mean glare at Lorne, the effect slightly ruined by the demon blood smeared across one cheek like garish blusher, "That's my father you're talking about."  
  
Lorne nodded agreeably, "Yup. And we've all thought it, sugar, so don't beat yourself up about it." He tucked his hanky back in his pocket and winced as he looked around him, "All though I can see there's been plenty of the beatin' of other species goin' on." He nudged Wesley with a sharp elbow, "Look who's heading back to the land of the living sober. Go you."  
  
Wesley flushed and fought down the urge for a long pull of scotch as a wave of tiredness washed over him, "Yes, well, it was mostly Connor." He looked around the scattered body parts, "In fact, aside from the small, adolescent Wolaris over there, they were all Connor." His eyebrows snapped together as he remembered what he had been saying, "And I gave specific orders to spare some of them for questioning later."  
  
Connor ignored the older man as he suddenly caught another scent over the ones already in the basement. He turned slowly, every sense on alert, "No problem."  
  
Wesley and Lorne blinked as he crouched and then jumped upwards on powerful legs to smash straight through the rotting floor above them and somersault out of view. "Connor! Connor!" Wesley threw his weapon to the floor in irritation, "Well, really, this is just too much." He scowled upwards, "And I know he heard me call him back."  
  
Lorne shrugged and eyed the two clones of his friends as they both stared blankly upwards at the hole where Connor had disappeared, "Kids. What are you gonna do?" He opened his mouth to add something else and then stumbled back with shock as a large object was hurled through the hole in the ceiling and Connor dropped neatly through after it.  
  
The boy smiled winningly at Wes, "I knew I left one." He reached down and yanked the moaning body to its feet with a flourish, "Yola, one demon."  
  
Wesley stared between the snarling, bleeding vampire clutched in Connor's iron grip and frowned with confusion, "Yola? I don't under." He paused as he worked it out, "Oh, voila! Oh, I see, yes, well done." He braced his hands on his hips as he glared at the boy, "Although some indication of your intentions might have been nice."  
  
Connor looked confused, "But I would have warned the demon too, and he would have gotten away." He jiggled the vampire enthusiastically, "So I just went and got him. See?"  
  
Lorne grinned at the expression on Wesley's face, rather like a cat owner who has just been presented with a still living tribute from his half-wild feline, and stepped forward, "That you did, honey, that you did. What say I get dumb and dumber back to base and you two finish up here?" He flinched as the vampire snarled and tried to claw out Connor's throat, "'Cos I know you aren't thinking of bringing it back home and messing up the lobby with vamp guts and dust."  
  
Wesley pressed a weary hand to his eyes as Connor punched the demon efficiently in the throat and kicked its legs out from underneath it, "Yes, perhaps that would be best. We'll see what information we can gather and drop in on the other nest that was mentioned, then we should be able to call it a night. Will you be alright?"  
  
Lorne glanced back as he guided fake Gunn and Angel outside, "Oh sure. Like I need to worry with these two hunks guarding me." He sighed as a loud crash sounded from outside and then rolled his eyes as another one echoed a beat later, "No matter how many times I tell them to step over stuff they never listen. You'd think they'd at least learn to stop when one of them falls over and that they should stop walking and not try to go through him, but noooo." He waved an airy hand, "Later, guys."  
  
Connor waited until the sounds of Lorne putting the clones back on their feet and herding them away faded and then turned a grim face to the captured demon on the floor, "We need information. You will give it to us or I will hurt you beyond anything you thought you were capable of." He lashed out with his foot and smashed the demon's nose to a pulp, "Tell us everything you know about the missing Seer."  
  
***************************  
Angel raised his eyebrows as Gunn hauled an arm full of spitting mad Fred through the back door of the cabin and gratefully shoved her down beside Cordy on the sofa. Fred took one look at her still unconscious friend and swung outraged eyes to Angel who watched amused as Gunn leaned down and clamped a hand over the lower half of his girlfriend's face, "Don't say a word Fred. I mean it. One sound and I'll haul your ass out to whatever passes for a woodshed here." She blinked and then contented herself with glaring furiously at the both of them and shoving away Gunn's hand before taking Cordelia's in hers to stroke gently. Gunn stood over her for a few seconds and then satisfied she had finally calmed stalked over to Angel and the fire.  
  
Angel glanced at the younger man and said neutrally, "Took longer than I expected."  
  
Gunn's eye twitched and he glanced back over his shoulder at Fred and watched her eye the cabin door saying flatly, "She's gone nuts. I tracked her through half the goddamn wood and had to chase her up a tree to get her. She's hasn't stopped attacking me and I finally had to drag her, literally kicking and screaming, the last few hundred yards."  
  
Angel glanced back at the slight girl on the sofa and then at the tall man beside him noting the wide red scratches and grazes covering his head and neck. He scanned Gunn's torso and arms and then stared at the perfect bleeding imprint of a set of teeth on one hand, "Fred did that? Little Fred?"  
  
Gunn snorted, "Yes 'Little Fred' did that. And 'Little Fred' also tried to kick me in the balls and didn't stop cursing me the whole way back. Hell, some of those words even I didn't know." He glanced back at her again and his face twisted with fury, "Oh no you don't!"  
  
Fred froze with her hand on the door and the truck keys clutched in the other and then yanked on the handle to reveal Spike holding Willow on the other side. "Hello love I don't think.Hey!" Spike shouted with surprise as Fred took in her fallen friend and then shoved past him to run for the truck. He stood to one side as Gunn barrelled out after her and then walked into the room, "Love's young dream, eh Peaches?"  
  
Angel grinned as Fred screamed and Gunn yelled back at her. He moved to the window and watched as the two young people fought on the grass Fred trying to do as much damage as she could and Gunn manfully resisting the temptation to knock her clean out. He winced as Gunn evidently got tired of someone attempting to gouge his eyes out and spun Fred onto her belly and straddled her back calmly pushing her face into the ground ignoring the muffled yells of outrage.  
  
It took a couple of minutes but eventually the girl's frenzied struggles ceased and Gunn held her down for a few seconds more before moving off her and hauling her to her feet. Fred swayed uncertainly gulping in the cool night air and then staggered as Gunn tugged on the arm he held in a vice like grip and pulled her back to the cabin. Spike stood still cradling Willow and watched the grim faced man haul the stunned girl past him and push her back down on the sofa, "Stay."  
  
Fred blinked at him and raised trembling hands to her face brushing shakily at the dirt and grass she could feel clinging there. Gunn's face softened as he looked down at her and he reached out to touch her cheek, "Fred, baby..."  
  
"Don't touch me. Bastard." Gunn flinched at the vicious curse, stepped back then turned abruptly to face Angel, "Watch her."  
  
Without looking back he walked to the rear of the cabin and out into the night. Angel looked after him for a moment and then reached down and picked up a towel that was sitting on top of one of the girl's travel bags. He stood over Fred and held it out, "Here. For your face." She took it without looking at him and then buried her face in it and began to sob thin shoulders shaking with emotion. Angel watched her for a few moments and then stepped away to cross to Spike who still clutched Willow, "What happened?"  
  
The blonde vampire shrugged casually not quite covering the guilt and concern in his expressive eyes, "We fought, she tried to stake me then rushed me and ran headfirst into a tree."  
  
Angel winced, "Ouch."  
  
Spike shrugged, "She's a Scoob. It's par for the course."  
  
Angel gently pushed Willow's hair back and examined the now impressively large bump on her head; "Well we'd better make her comfortable and get her cleaned up. She's going to feel that when she wakes up."  
  
Spike nodded shortly and followed Angel and watched as he gathered the dusty tarpaulins and made a make shift bed on the floor. He laid Willow on it and then following Angel's example took off his leather duster and spread it over the unconscious girl. He glanced over at Cordelia, "How's the cheerleader doing?"  
  
Angel followed his gaze, "Hasn't stirred. She looks like she needs the rest."  
  
Spike nodded and got to his feet, "They all do. I'll go and scare up some water and a clean cloth."  
  
Angel gestured outside, "There's an old well out back. I don't think it's dry."  
  
Spike gave Willow one last look and followed Gunn out the door, "Back in a minute Peaches."  
  
Angel watched him leave and then he slowly turned to Fred. She had stopped her frenzied sobbing and now sat in exhausted silence beside Cordelia staring owlishly at the floor, "Hey Fred." He waited a few moments and then when he received no response walked slowly over to her and crouched down before her. Her eyes met his staring blankly and he quashed the feeling of guilt and concern that rose when he saw that she was teetering on the edge of a complete breakdown and instead said simply, "Want to tell me what's going on here?"  
  
The dark haired girl looked at him blankly and then stared expressively at the two unconscious girls in the room with them, "Why? Are y'all gonna put me to sleep like them if I don't?"  
  
Angel winced and said shortly, "Of course not. Don't be so melodramatic."  
  
Fred went stiff with outrage and shoved a hand against his shoulder scowling with annoyance when he didn't even wobble, "Melodramatic? Me? Y'all are the ones that won't take no for an answer. We told you why we left and why we couldn't stay in LA anymore but oh no, god forbid that the almighty Angel and Gunn should get dumped on rather than do the dumping. We don't want you. Go away and leave us the hell alone!"  
  
She stopped her chest heaving with emotion and Angel raised an eyebrow and then said calmly, "Are you done?" Fred nodded jerkily and flinched when he reached towards her but he just tugged a large three quarter length coat from the back of the sofa and placed it over her, "Get some sleep. We'll talk more when you're all awake." She watched him rise and then as he made no move to walk away leaned slowly back and tucked in next to Cordelia bringing her legs up to curl underneath her. Angel smiled and patted the top of her head lightly ignoring her squeak of alarm, "Good girl. Get some sleep and it won't seem half as bad in the morning."  
  
Fred privately doubted it but nonetheless knew when to cut her losses and regroup. She alone of the three girls was conscious and/or unhurt and to achieve freedom she had to go through three professional demon hunters two of whom had their own superpowers. Out of the three girls she was the weakest and least skilled fighter and she held no illusions about her abilities to take on the two vampires and Gunn. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about his hurt eyes when she had flinched away from him and his gentle touch as he had tried to make things right with her. She huddled closer to Cordelia and her last thought as she slipped gratefully into overwrought sleep was  
  
Whatever it takes, whatever it takes  
  
****************************  
  
At the same time Fred was reluctantly allowing herself to fall asleep, Lindsey was beginning to realise that no matter how bad the previous two days had been, they were nothing to how bad things were looking at the moment. True he'd saved Cordelia and the others from a fate worse than death. Let's face it the thought of being lectured by he-of-the-soul for hours on end was enough to drive anyone to pretty desperate measures, but now he'd lost them. He glared at the entrance to the motel he'd just arrived at and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel irritably, making a mental note that when he caught up with the girls the very first thing they were going to do was work out a way for them to locate each other without driving all over three goddamn counties if they got separated again. After working with them for three months he pretty much knew their MO, but he'd looked in every low rent motel for the last ninety miles and was still no closer to locating their shapely, and misplaced, asses.  
  
He tipped his head back against the back of the seat and glared at the truck roof. He was an intelligent, resourceful man, he could do this. A minute ticked slowly past and he punched the steering wheel in fury. Goddamn it, he couldn't do this! His floppy hair was shoved back off his forehead with a particularly vicious and inventive curse and he hit the steering wheel again for good measure. Sound planning wasn't his forte. Witness his sparkling success in his stint as Wolfram and Hart's main player on the devil's lap dog front. SO not the most successful evil genius in the history of the world.  
  
He'd also never had to think of a cunning plan when his guts were churning and what felt like a fishhook was dragging at his heart with fear and worry for the girls. The suspicions that he carried all his life had been confirmed. Life was a lot easier when you just cared about yourself and pretty much forgot about the billion or so other life forms you shared a planet with.  
  
Somewhere along the line he'd grown pretty attached to soft spoken Fred and had come to cherish the witty, intelligent conversations he'd had with Willow, although he'd learned the hard way to keep her away from anything with caffeine in it.  
  
Much to his amazement he'd also come to care deeply about the caustic, sparky and stupidly brave Cordelia Chase. Their verbal sparring and her brutal way of speaking whatever came to her mind had endeared her to him more than the others in her own way. He respected the strength that enabled her to get out of whatever sagging bed she happened to be in each morning, her relentless fight against whatever hunters or bounty hunters came across them and her tireless protection and morale boosting of her companions whenever their situation became to much for them to bear. Cordelia was always ready with a smile and a quip to brighten the day and, on the rare occasions that she couldn't force a smile, she was always ready with a swift kick up the ass to get things moving again.  
  
Lindsey leant his head against the steering wheel and sighed. The thought of anything happening to any of the three girls was enough to suck the marrow straight from his bones and he was very much afraid he really had only one option to find them. It was something that had been considered before but that had been considered too risky to try, as the chances of someone else tapping into the power were too high. Lindsey closed his eyes shut briefly and then sat up and reached for the bag at his feet and began to gather what he needed for a location spell.  
  
*************************  
  
Connor drew back his fist and let fly drawing some small satisfaction from the crumpling of bone beneath his fist and he followed up with a sharp slap to the vampire's face on the back swing, "Tell me what I want to know demon."  
Wesley eyed the young boy as he spoke in a dispassionate almost bored tone and made a mental note to have a word with Angel when he got back about extending the boy's outside interests. Heralded saviour or not, everyone needed a night off to kick back and have fun occasionally. He watched as the vampire spat a rather large amount of borrowed blood on the floor along with a couple of teeth and raised his battered face to say, "Never!"  
Connor exhibited no surprise at the answer and nodded resignedly as he slammed a fist into the creature's midsection and watched it fold over his arm, "This may take a while. Wesley, are there any errands you need to run while we're in this part of town?"  
Wesley shook his head absently in response to the casual inquiry and then sucked in his breath sharply, "Connor, we can't go round torturing demons no matter how reprehensible they are. Now if you've quite finished with him put the creature out of his misery and let's move on. We still have that nest of Querteth demons to dispose of before we go home."  
  
Connor glared at Wesley for a moment and then with an expression on his face that the older man would have called a pout if it had been on a girl of the same age pulled a stake from his back pocket and slammed it through the vampire's heart telling it, "You were lucky he was here."  
  
The vampire's face as it exploded into a surprised cloud of ash strongly disagreed with the boy, but Wesley nodded satisfied and placed a comforting hand on Connor's shoulder, "I know it's hard waiting for news and feeling like you are doing nothing to help but trust in your father to find them and bring them home. He's quite exceptional and inexhaustibly stubborn when it comes to tracking pr.um finding people." He trailed off and cleared his throat awkwardly as Connor watched him with curious blue eyes and finished lamely, "Anyway, I'm sure he'll find them soon."  
  
They turned and walked back down the dark alley where they had chased the vampire a few moments before, heading for the bright lights of the street. "Were you going to say prey?" Connor spoke quietly and kept his eyes on the ground but Wesley felt the tension in him. The boy still warily regarded anything that reminded him of his father's true nature despite his acceptance of Angel as both a father figure and a person.  
  
Wesley frowned and then said, "Yes I was I'm afraid. I find it hard to distinguish between Angel's vampire traits and his human ones. After a while it becomes rather irrelevant in regards to a person you know intimately." He glanced sideways at the boy and watched as a small frown creased his forehead as he kicked a can into the shadows.  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get used to it." Wesley's heart turned over at the wistful tone and he swallowed the bitter taste of guilt and 'what if', as he realised that Connor would have had all the time in the world to understand and get used to the idea if he hadn't been stolen from the people that loved him and all but handed over to a bitter twisted man as a tool for revenge. He sighed and shook his head pushing away the unwelcome memories. Now was important, not last year or tomorrow, but what he could do to help Angel now.  
  
He took a deep breath, "I know what you mean. When I first saw your father all I saw was the bloodthirsty power crazed demon of my textbooks and I didn't ever feel that he could ever be a person in my eyes." He laughed in bitter amusement as he thought of the tight arsed git he used to be, "God, I was such a wanker! I don't know how they put up with me."  
  
Connor stared at his father's friend in surprise, "You didn't like Dad when you met him?"  
  
Wesley grinned, "God no! I was newly arrived from England and chock full of ideas to get the Slayers dancing to my tune, and the last thing I needed on my watch was some half tame demon out to save the world. I walked into that library and I set about alienating everyone around me with astonishing rapidity. I mocked the man that advised and guarded the Slayers, a man that had been battling evil on the mouth of hell for years mark you. I was rude and dismissive of the friends that helped them and to the Slayers, I was an unforgivable let down as a Watcher all because I saw with the prejudices I had indoctrinated in me rather than with my own eyes.  
  
The people I joined had no time for a man who thought he knew it all because he had spent his life studying demons in books and watching them from afar. They routinely went out and slayed evil every night and lost people they cared for time after time and as they saw it if one of the creatures they fought was trying to redeem himself alongside them who were they to stand in his way?"  
  
Wesley shrugged self-consciously, "Your father didn't become a person to me until The Slayer nearly sacrificed her own life to save his." He stared into Connor's eyes, "One of the creatures she had been destined from birth to destroy and she nearly killed herself to save him. Angel fed from her in his delirium and it nearly destroyed him when he regained enough control of himself to realise what she had done. When I saw the remorse in his eyes, the self-loathing, that's when he became real to me and I saw the man inside the demon for the first time."  
  
Connor mooched along and kicked a rusted can out of his path, "But you still didn't trust in him not to hurt me when you read the fake prophesies?"  
  
Wesley flinched, "No, to my ever lasting regret, I did not." He sighed, "I found there was more left in me of that pompous, smug Watcher than I thought, and the consequences were catastrophic for all concerned." He stopped and looked at Connor as the boy turned to face him, "I destroyed the life you and your father could have had together because I was frightened and confused, and I didn't allow myself to trust in the man I knew or the people around us." He placed his weapon on the floor and then stood to clasp Connor's shoulders tightly in his hands, "Whatever happens, don't allow yourself to believe anything but that Angel is a good man and he only wants the best for those he loves. He may be difficult to understand at times, but all he's ever wanted is safety for those around him and the opportunity to show you how much he loves and cares for you. Don't let the actions of myself, or anyone else, persuade you otherwise."  
  
Connor stared into Wesley's eyes for a long moment and then nodded, "I'll try."  
  
Wesley squeezed the boy's shoulders briefly and then released him, "That's all anyone can ask of you." He snatched up his weapon again and smiled, "Now, I believe we have a nest of demons to dispose of." The smile widened affectionately, "And this time try to remember to leave some of them alive."  
  
********************************  
  
Cordelia fought against the black tide holding her down and drowning her. She felt the whirlpool suck at her body, her essence, and she struggled twisting and turning reaching for the light. Slowly, so slowly, she rose until finally she broke through and she opened heavy eyes and sucked in a breath. The flickering glow of the firelight shimmered and she blinked in confusion and then she focused on his face. Dark, dark eyes watching her, waiting for her to give some kind of reaction. A slow, loving smile spread across her face and she reached out to him, only mildly concerned when her arm felt like someone had attached several large weights to it. "Angel."  
  
He cocked his head to one side and she drank in the sight of his familiar face and wallowed in the luxury of looking on him once again. At the back of her mind inner Cordy was jumping up and down and shrieking, battering on the walls of her consciousness to remind her.of something. She ignored the frenzied shrieks of her inner self and sighed happily when he reached out his hand to take hers. Her eyes drifted shut again and she sighed in contentment once again as she felt his fingers begin to caress hers and he whispered, "Cordelia."  
  
Her eyes snapped open and she wrenched her hand back and tried to sit up bringing on a sudden wave of nausea. Fred awoke with a start next to her and jolted upright, in turn bringing Gunn to his feet staring around wildly as he gripped his favourite axe. Cordy brought both hands to her temples and pressed hard as the room span and stared at the vampire before her that had gotten to his feet, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
She gulped in air and tried to calm her frantically racing heart as her mind fought through the sluggishness of sleep. Angel crossed his arms and stared forbiddingly down at her barely controlling his expression of anger at he abrupt rejection of his touch. He surreptitiously took a breath and inhaled confusion and anger nearly overpowered by the smell of fear, almost terror, emanating from her. "Looking for you." Cordelia shook her head slightly as though to clear it and Angel smirked, "What's up Cordy, having a little problem in thinking straight? Don't worry, the drugs will wear off in a few hours and you'll be as good as new."  
  
Cordy blinked and stared up at him and then a vague memory of someone.Spike! Her eyes widened and she gasped in outrage, "You let him shoot me!"  
  
"Yup."  
  
She pushed against the couch trying to find the leverage and strength necessary to climb to her feet and confront him and all but snarled as he casually placed a hand on top of her head and pushed her back down, "Save it Cordelia, you're going nowhere. And if you try I'll just shoot you again." She fell against the back of the couch and stared wordlessly up at him as he reached behind him and produced a tranq gun pointing it at her coolly, "You've already been out for about six hours, if I shot you again I'm betting you'd be out cold for at least another ten."  
  
Cordy flicked her eyes to the now covered windows and saw the light leaking in around the edges. She looked down as she felt a hand creep into hers and then looked up into Fred's eyes. The Texan stared back at her and although she was obviously frightened she also sent a wordless message to Cordelia to keep her head, wait for the right time and not to do anything rash. The seer took a deep breath and then met her love's eyes again, "Boy, you just don't give up do you? Jeez, Angel. Is this what you did to Druscilla to turn her batty? Just kept stalking her until she caved?"  
  
She forced herself not to flinch at the flash of hurt that passed through his eyes and stared at him in challenge. He in turn stared back down at her and forced himself to see past the angry and spiteful look she gave him to the too white skin and painfully thin body, "Cordelia, please give it up. We know that you're in trouble. We have the entire gang working on it back home. Let us help you and then if you still want us to then we'll leave you the hell alone."  
  
Cordelia opened her mouth and then closed it almost caving and throwing herself into his arms and spilling the beans, then she thought of him going up in flames before her eyes and screaming in agony and her gaze hardened again, "Get over yourself, Angel."  
  
He shook his head impatiently and met Gunn's eyes. The human regarded him impassively the only sign of strain the slight twitching in his jaw as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. He hissed through his teeth as he stared at his de facto sister and his girl and then moved forward to stand at Angel's side, "Hey Cordy. Still savin' my life?"  
  
Cordelia stared up at him and felt the burn at the back of her throat that signalled tears were once again on the way. She opened her mouth and then was saved from answering as Angel shifted slightly and she caught a glimpse of Willow, and her outsized head, sleeping on the floor, "Oh my god!" She scrambled forward and fell to her knees on the floor and tried to push past the boy's legs to get to her friend, "What the hell have you done? Willow?" Angel stepped to the side and she sped in an ungainly crawl to Willow's side reaching out with trembling hands to smooth the hair from the other girl's forehead, "Willow? Willow, can you hear me?" She looked up at Angel with fury and terror in her eyes, "Why won't she wake up? What did you do?"  
  
The vampire crouched down beside her and reached out swallowing his hurt when she flinched away from him. He slowly drew back his hand and said softly, "I didn't do anything. Willow picked a fight with Spike and misjudged a move. She knocked herself out."  
  
Cordelia laid a hand at Willow's throat and was reassured to find a slow, steady pulse under her fingertips. She bowed her head in relief and closed her eyes, tears stinging against her lids, "Why can't you just leave us alone?"  
  
Angel's face softened at the broken whisper and he touched a light hand to her hair, "Because we love you." His eyes flashed angrily as she snapped her head to the side to avoid his touch and he grabbed her arm to haul her feet. He dodged her solid right-hook and twisted her arm behind her back as she tried to kick his legs out from under him. "Will you stop fighting me all the damn time!" Cordelia flung her pounding head back and connected with his chin with a crack, Angel shouted with pain and then shoved her forward to sprawl gracelessly on the floor.  
  
Gunn winced and looked at Spike as the blond vampire re-entered the room, "Guess that answers that question."  
  
Spike fought back a grin as his grandsire clutched his face and bitched like Buffy when she cracked a nail, "You expected a rousing chorus of we- love-you-too and please-sweep-us-in-to-your-oh-so-manly-and-dead-arms?" He nodded to Gunn, "Present company excepted."  
  
Gunn crossed his arms over his chest, reassured to feel the steady thump of his heart against his muscles, "Damn straight." His eyes widened, "Uh-oh!"  
  
Spike turned and saw Cordelia rise from the floor with a look of sheer fury on her face and a splinter of wood from beside the fireplace gripped in her fist, "Shit. Peaches!"  
  
Angel snatched his hands down from his face and gaped as Cordelia lunged towards him with her makeshift stake. One hand came up to block her move, whilst the other shot out to relieve her of the three-inch piece of wood. He held her hand above her head for a moment as they stared into each other's eyes, then cursed as she staggered and her legs gave way abruptly. In one smooth move he turned her and slipped an arm under her knees before letting go of her wrist and putting the other one round her back to hoist her off her feet and against his chest.  
  
Cordelia blinked as she swung through the air and then blinked again as she found herself nose to nipple with Angel, "Let me go." She gulped oxygen as spots swam behind her eyes and her stomach rolled greasily, "Oh god, I'm gonna be." Her voice cut off abruptly as her stomach heaved and she threw up all over herself and Angel.  
  
Angel moved swiftly to the door and stepped outside to kneel on the covered porch, keeping well back from the sunlight as he held her thin, undernourished body while she heaved and heaved, all the time trying to bat weakly at his hands to let her go. He brought up one hand to hold her hair back and stroked his thumb soothingly at the base of her neck, "It's ok, it's ok. I've got you." His face clouded with concern as she heaved violently against him and he caught the whiff of something other than the drugs from her, "She's sick." His head turned and he stared at Fred as she stood inside the cabin, "What's wrong with her? How long has she been like this?"  
  
Fred tried to move past Gunn and then jumped as he grabbed hold of her arm to hold her in place, "She's just tired. I can look after her, I know what to do." She tried to twist out of Gunn's grip, "Just let me see to her."  
  
"I don't think so. Sit your butt down, Fred, this has gone on long enough." Angel turned his attention back to the shivering, clammy woman in his arms, "Are you finished?" Cordelia managed a weak, shamed nod and Angel gathered her to him carefully and then stood, "We're going to get you cleaned up and then we're going to get this sorted out once and for all." He looked down at Cordelia as her head rolled limply against his shoulder, to miserable and ill to care that she was covered in her own vomit and that Angel was finally holding her without any resistance, "Are there fresh clothes in your truck?" She nodded painfully, "Gunn, go get them. Spike, help me." He moved into the room, "Build the fire up some more and move Willow out of the way so Cordelia can get warm."  
  
Spike pushed Fred back down onto the sofa and then snatched up Willow in a lightening fast move and laid her lengthways to join her friend on the couch, her bruised head nestling cosily in Fred's lap, "Watch her." He waited for Fred's unwilling nod and then moved to join Angel as he lowered the shaking and filthy Cordelia to the floor, "Go get yourself sorted, Peaches. I'll see to her." He rolled his eyes as Angel turned to snarl possessively at him, "Get over yourself, will you? She's sick and she stinks, I think I can manage not to jump her diseased bones while you wash yourself off." He brushed Cordelia's sweat dampened hair off her forehead and eyed her with concern, "She needs to get warm and dry. Stop bein' such a wanker and let me help her."  
  
Angel looked between Cordelia and Spike and then nodded shortly, "I'll be a minute."  
  
Spike watched him go and then cupped a hand to Cordelia's cheek, "Alright, cheerleader, I'm going to wash you up and get you all nice and comfy, ok?" He kept his voice low and soothing as he quickly and competently stripped off her soaked top and reached beside him for the water that they had been using to soak Willow's compresses, "I'd warm this up but I think we need to get you in dry clothes as soon as we can." A small, kindly smile flitted across his face as he dunked a cleanish rag and then set about impersonally wiping it over her torso. Cordelia arched and hissed as the cold cloth touched her skin, "I know, I know, it's alright, love. You just let me get on with it like, and we'll soon have you feelin' better."  
  
Spike's eyes narrowed as he saw the still unhealed cut on her collarbone, the skin around it still puffy. He pressed the cloth lightly against the swollen gash and watched as thick, green pus oozed out, "That's the way of it, is it?" He idly stroked Cordelia's hair back away from her face with his other hand as she gave a sob of pain and he sniffed the air, "I know, love, I know." He gave a quick nod to himself, ""Right, then. Well we're not havin' that now, are we?"  
  
Gunn crouched beside him and whistled, "What the hell is that?"  
  
Spike eased an arm around Cordelia's back and helped her to sit up before releasing her bra catch and lying her back down. He kept the garment in place as he laid her back down and then grabbed the towel Gunn held out to him, "Poison. Someone managed to 'ave themselves a good day and cut 'er with something laced with something nasty." He draped the towel across Cordelia and then whisked her bra out from under it. His rag disappeared back under the material and he swabbed her again before briskly rubbing her skin dry as he tossed the rag back in the bucket. "Got her clothes?"  
  
Gunn handed him a loose sweatshirt and Spike rolled it in his hands before tugging it over her head and then pulling it down over her body to guide her arms into the correct holes. He smoothed it comfortably over her and then undid her pants, "Nearly done, love. Soon be over." He pulled the pants down and winced as a particularly livid bruise came to light on her hip and upper right thigh, "For fucks sake."  
  
Gunn drew in a hissed breath beside him and then wordlessly handed him the rag and towel, before gripping Cordelia's hand as her panties were whisked away and she was given a brisk cleaning, before Spike eased the baggy sweatpants on under the towel and jumped up to grab any spare jackets or covers he could find to bundle on top of the shivering girl.  
  
Spike smiled into Cordelia's glazed eyes, as she lay spent on the pallet, "There, love, all better. Think you can take a sip of water?" He listened carefully to the racing of her heart and hid his uneasiness at the grey colour of her skin as he tucked the mound of coats and sweaters around her more closely, "Just a sip, mind, don't want a repeat performance, like." He glanced up as Angel rejoined him, washed and dressed in a fresh pair of black slacks and a clean black top, "She's alright, mate." His head jerked back, "Need a word. Gunn, try and get her to take some water. Just a sip, mind."  
  
He pulled Angel towards the back door, keeping a watchful eye on the uneasy Fred and the still sleeping Willow, "She's been poisoned." Angel tensed beside him and gave a low growl, "Hold your horses, Peaches, she's alright for the minute, but we need to think about getting' her some kind of help." He eyed the taller vampire with mild surprise, "Amazed you didn't pick up on it yourself, mate."  
  
Angel half turned so that his eyes rested on Cordelia as Gunn eased her up and held a bottle of water to her mouth, "I've been.distracted." His hands clenched by his side in fury, "Dammit, I should have realised." His insides twisted with guilt as he thought of how he'd behaved since finding Cordy again and vicious scene in the bedroom of the motel room, "Dammit."  
  
Spike shrugged, grunting in unwitting sympathy at Angel's obvious self- disgust, "Right, well there's nothin' to be done now." He gripped Angel's arm and waited until he had his undivided attention, "The important thing is that we get her fixed up an' do it right quick." His hand tightened in emphasis, "I can smell the sickness in 'er, and if we don't do something soon then I don't know what's gonna happen to her."  
  
"That's not your concern." The vampires spun round as the voice sounded behind them. Angel vamped out as he saw Lindsey McDonald standing in a patch of bright sunlight and holding guns on each of them. He fired even as Spike swore and tensed to spring out of the way, grunting in satisfaction as both shots hit their mark and the vampires dropped where they stood. Lindsey threw the guns in the floor and broke into a run as he heard Gunn's surprised shout from inside the cabin, tugging another gun from the waistband of his pants. He jumped the two bodies lying inside the doorway and fired again as Gunn rushed towards him and Fred screamed.  
  
Gunn fell bonelessly to the floor and Lindsey threw his gun aside as he saw Cordelia lying on the floor, "Jesus!" He threw himself towards her and gathered her up in his arms, cupping her head to help her focus on him, "Cordelia, are you ok? Cordelia?" What the hell did they do to you, baby?" Lindsey's head turned as Fred staggered up beside him and collapsed to her knees, "Fred, honey, are you ok? What's happened to Cordy?" He rocked Cordelia against him as he tried to turn his head to see behind him, "Where's Willow?"  
  
Fred closed her eyes for a moment and held up her fist. She uncurled her fingers as tears trickled down her face, "I thought you killed them." The small dart winked against her palm, still stained at the tip with Gunn's blood where she had pulled it from his chest, "I really thought you killed them."  
  
Lindsey took in her white, shocky face and gripped Cordelia to him with one arm as the other snaked out and pulled Fred against him, "I still might if I don't get some answers around here. What the hell's been happening?"  
  
Angel lay frozen on the floor as the former bane of his LA life clutched Angel's eternal love and one of his best friends to him. He tried to make himself move, to lunge across and rip his girls from the ex-lawyer's arms and his demon howled in furious protest as not so much as an eyelash twitched in response. He was unable to anything but stare as Fred collapsed trustingly against the man who'd just shot her lover and then he heard Cordelia whisper, "Lindsey?"  
  
Lindsey eased Fred upright for a moment and touched Cordelia's face as she swallowed and tried to push herself upright, "Easy, honey. It's ok, I'm here now." He rocked back slightly and pulled cuddled her close before rising with a grunt of effort with her cradled in his arms, "Don't worry, everything's ok, baby. I'm getting you out of here."  
  
Cordelia was floating in a sea of pain and sickness, barely aware of anything but Lindsey as he walked towards the door, and certainly not aware of the crack of Angels' heart breaking as she leaned her head against Lindsey's shoulder and whispered, "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you'd leave us here with them."  
  
Angel was unable to do anything but stare straight ahead as Lindsey moved out of his line of sight and carried Cordelia outside and away from him. He listened as Lindsey's boots clumped down the steps, neatly avoiding the Cordelia's vomit from earlier and then the young man whispered soothingly, "Never, darlin', never. You'll be ok now, I've got you."  
  
Fred moved hastily around the room gathering their stuff and anything useful that Angel and the others had brought with them as Lindesy hurried back through the door. "She's in the truck." He crossed to Willow and examined her head quickly, "Did someone hit her?"  
  
Fred avoided looking at the three bodies on the floor, "No, Spike said she ran into a tree." She glanced quickly around herself, "I think that's it. Is there anything else y'all think we need?"  
  
Lindsey crossed to the back door, shoving Spike's rigid body non-to-gently out the way before slamming the door shut as best he could and then returning to the couch to pick Willow up and carry her towards the front, "No. We need to go in your truck till the road where I left mine parked and then you can follow me. We need to get the hell away from here."  
  
He paused by the door and glanced down the three men on the floor, "Its not permanent. I used darts filled with Sumsanger essence and used enough to make sure you're down for the rest of the day." He jerked his head at Fred as she paused and began to look back at Gunn, "Go Fred, we need to get them out of here." Lindsey waited until she reluctantly moved past him and out into the sun and then lowered his voice to hiss, "Stay the hell away from them, Angel. They don't want you anymore and if I see you near them again, I will kill you."  
  
He looked around the room and satisfied himself that no stray beams of sunlight would be able to get to the vampires while they lay helpless on the floor, "This is your last chance, leave them the hell alone." The door banged shut and then the only sound to be heard in the darkened room was of the slamming of car doors and the roar of the truck engine as it was driven over the rough ground and out of the clearing.  
  
******************************* 


	13. Over The Next Horizon 13

Title: Over The Next Horizon (13/?)  
  
Author: Karen  
  
Rating: R Disclaimer: Not mine, not a one. Pairings: A/C, Gu/F, W/S Synopsis: Cordy, Willow and Fred are on the run after being blackmailed by Wolfram and Hart into working for them. Angel, Gunn and Spike are on their tails and less than pleased.  
  
A/N: I know, I know, a horribly long time since I updated. AGAIN. Apologies to all if anyone is still following this fic, all I can say is blame Freakazoid High. All previous parts can be found at the link below.  
  
Dedications: Mel, my pal and no doubt snorting in amazement that this has showed up again. Dawn Wood and Ina, 'cos they'll both be stunned as well and anyone else who's interested in the continuing adventures of this incredibly slow moving fic.  
  
Part 13.  
  
Fred turned the key in the door, shoved it open and then stepped hastily to the side as Lindsey pushed past her and staggered to one of two beds in the room to lay Cordy down. He straightened up breathing heavily and swept his hair back from his forehead with a careless sweep of his forearm. "We need to get her a doctor."  
  
Fred looked up from where she was helping Willow sit in a sagging easy chair, "Y'all know we can't risk that." She flicked concerned eyes over Cordelia and said unconvincingly. "She'll be ok."  
  
Cordelia whimpered on the bed and shifted uncomfortably, plainly unaware of her surroundings. Lindsey dragged the cover off the other bed and placed it over her gently and then turned and looked at Willow. "You really need to see a doctor as well."  
  
"No." Willow shook her head emphatically and then clutched at it as pain exploded behind her eyes and little lights and stars went off. "Ow, dammit. Oh goddess, no doctors." She took several deep gulps of air and blinked to clear her vision. "I've had a lot worse than this. I'll be fine."  
  
Fred twisted her hands together nervously. "You've already suffered a major head trauma once, Willow. We don't know what damage might have been caused."  
  
Willow gave the other girl a twisted smile. "That was years ago and I've been knocked on the head since then. I just need to get rid of the headache and then I'm good to go." She scowled as a thought occurred to her." And Angel and Spike were the cause then, too. Jerks."  
  
Lindsey stared down at Cordelia again. "No argument here." He clenched his fists in impotent rage. "I don't get it. What the hell is happening to her?"  
  
Willow tried to stand up and gave Fred a grateful smile as the brunette leapt forward and slipped a supporting arm around her waist. They made slow progress over to the bed and joined Lindsey in staring down at the insensible seer. Willow slowly lowered herself to the bed and reached out to touch Cordelia's burning forehead. "Spike was right, it's definitely some kind of poison." She leaned forward, whimpering as her head swam protestingly, and peered at the angry cut on Cordelia's collarbone weeping pus and blood. "And I think this is definitely the source." She frowned for a moment in thought and then looked up at Fred. "She's had this for a few months now, but she'd never been sick like this before."  
  
Fred nodded hesitantly, unsure where the redhead was going. "Yeah."  
  
Willow's eyes unfocused as she fought to get her pounding brain to work. "It's never really healed, but it's never been much of a problem." She began to nibble on her thumb. "There's no way she could have hidden it from us if it had affected her like this."  
  
Fred shrugged uneasily. "I don't know, she hid her illness before when she was dying."  
  
Willow eyed Cordelia speculatively. "No, the way we've been living for the past few months, there's no way she could have managed to keep something like this hidden." Her face creased as she reached for the answer floating tantalisingly just out of reach. "No, she couldn't have done." Every nerve in her body throbbed as she chased the answer. "Something happened to trigger this. What is it? What happened to her?"  
  
Fred's chewed her lip as she thought. "She had a big fight with Angel."  
  
Lindsey snarled. "Did he hurt her?" His face flushed with fury. "If he hurt her."  
  
Fred shook her head. "No, he didn't hurt her. She woke up and they started arguing, then she got angry when she saw Willow and then she hurt Angel and he pushed her down." She looked down at Willow when the other girl jumped. "What? What is it?"  
  
Willow pointed an excited finger at Fred. "When she woke up. You said when she woke up." Fred nodded warily. "And they shot her with a tranq gun when they found us." Lindsey exchanged confused glances with Fred as Willow thumped the bed excitedly. "That's it! That's what triggered this. Whatever they used has had some kind of reaction with the stuff that's in her system."  
  
"Willow, you don't know that." Fred stared apologetically at her friend. "Without a lab and a lot of tests we can't be sure of anything."  
  
Willow jumped to her feet, her headache and nausea forgotten in the excitement of her theory. "No, listen to me." She began to pace in the small space. "The poison's been in her system for months and we made the mistake of just thinking that she was being slow to heal, right?" She paused to wait for her companions confirming nods and then continued as her eyes brightened and her face flushed with triumphant colour. "But we forgot that Cordy isn't like us." She rolled her eyes at their blank looks. "She's not human! Or at least she's only human based. We don't know what her physiology is like now she's a higher being or demon or whatever, and the poison may not have had the chance to work the way it normally would in her system." She twisted a lock of hair thoughtfully as she stared into space. "I'm willing to bet that if you or me had been cut with whatever it was then we'd have been taken out of the game pretty quickly, but Cordelia's system is a lot more resistant than ours if she's a demon." Willow bit her lip as she thought and then nodded decisively. "Right, game over. Everything's changed and we're making our own rules now."  
  
Lindsey jumped as she jabbed a finger at him. "I need the bag of mystical who-ja-ma-whatsits from the truck, stat." Willow turned to Fred. "You need to cast a concealment spell, just something basic but I need it with enough kick to disguise what I'm about to do."  
  
"Um." Fred exchanged wary looks with Lindsey. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Willow shook off the last of her head pain and straightened her shoulders. "I'm letting me out to play."  
  
****************************  
  
Connor read the numbers off the pad beside the phone and very carefully punched them into the keypad. He listened carefully as the phone began to ring and then jumped as the phone was picked up at the other end, "Hello?"  
  
Dawn Summers stuck her tongue out as Xander stole the piece of toast in her hand and spoke cheerily into the phone, "Hellmouth House of Horrors, how can I help you?"  
  
"Oh.sorry.I was looking for the Summers residence." Connor went to put the phone down and stopped as he heard an unapologetic giggle sound down the receiver.  
  
"You found us, this is Dawn. Who's speaking please?" Dawn judged her moment and then faked Xander out to snaffle the last chocolate croissant on his plate.  
  
"Um.this is Connor." Connor cleared his throat uneasily and said in a slightly firmer tone of voice. "Connor Angel."  
  
Dawn danced the dance of someone who is victorious in the art of pastry stealing and spoke warmly into the phone. "Oh hey, how ya doin'? What's shakin' in the land of the tan and fake boobs?"  
  
Connor, thoroughly bewildered, took a stab in the dark as to what she meant and replied politely. "I'm fine. How are you?"  
  
In Sunnydale, Dawn rolled her eyes and treated Xander to an enthusiastic mime of someone with a large stake up their butt and an Angel glower but much nearer the ground. Xander thought for a second and then nodded. "Angel's kid?" He slapped Dawn's raised hand triumphantly. "Score one for the Xan-man."  
  
Connor frowned as he heard the other voice and muttered nervously into the phone. "Is this a bad time?"  
  
Dawn shook her head and then rolled her eyes in exasperation when she remembered she was on the phone and couldn't actually see her. "Nope, just having breakfast before heading out to school. What's the what?"  
  
Connor frowned again and wished, not for the first time, that he'd paid more attention to Cordelia when she'd tried to educate him in the ways of a twenty-first century teenager. Patently he still had a lot to learn. "I er.I.can I speak to the Slayer?"  
  
"Sorry, slick. She of the stakes and bad attitude has left for another fun- filled day of demon tracking and full on slayage." Dawn boosted herself up onto the counter and eyed her boots thoughtfully as she wondered how much whining it would take to get Buffy to spring for a new pair. "Can I help?"  
  
Connor sagged dispiritedly. "Oh." He wound the phone wire around his finger tightly. "No. I just wondered whether she had any, um." Belatedly he remembered he wasn't meant to discuss the current situation over the phones just in case Wolfram and Hart were listening in. "Um.sugar. I can't er.find ours."  
  
Dawn blinked in confusion for a moment and then the sad, lost tone in Connor's voice registered and she realised what he had stopped himself from saying. "Oh, right. We're fresh out of sugary goodness here too." Her voice lowered sympathetically. "We're definitely looking into getting some soon though."  
  
"Oh. Ok." Connor worried his lower lip and sighed. "Well, sorry for bothering you."  
  
"Wait!" Thoroughly surprising herself, Dawn felt a tug at her heart strings at the mournful sigh echoing down the phone and spoke hurriedly. "I don't have to leave for school just yet, you wanna talk for a while?"  
  
Connor took the phone away from his ear, looked at it suspiciously and then said cautiously. "What about?"  
  
Ignoring Xander making frantic hang up motions, Dawn shrugged. "Whatever. I figure as the up and coming demon killing talent we should get to know each other. What do you like to do?"  
  
Connor relaxed slightly, that was easy. "Kill things."  
  
Dawn's mouth fell open. "What?"  
  
"Demons, I like to kill demons." Connor felt the slow burn of embarrassment creep up his neck and was profoundly grateful there was no around to witness his social failure.  
  
"Oh." Desperately relieved and again ignoring Xander, now nodding his head sagely and mouthing 'I told you to hang up!', Dawn shrugged. "Ok. What else?" She waited expectantly as the silence on the other end of the line stretched from seconds to minutes and sighed in resignation. "Demons, huh? Gotta love a dedicated professional."  
  
*************************************  
  
Fred bit her lip and danced from foot to foot as she watched Willow sit in the middle of a circle of lit candles and prepare herself for her spell. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Willow?" She looked at Lindsey sponging Cordelia's burning face by the bed and shooting intermittent anxious glances of his own at the redhead as she double-checked she had everything she needed for her spell. "Y'know I don't really mean to tell y'all your business but you did say that you shouldn't really be doin' the magic."  
  
Willow rolled her shoulders and prepared to centre herself. "We've moved a long way past 'shouldn't' and entered the realm of 'have to' a few miles back, Tex." She rested her upturned palms on her knees and closed her eyes, only to pop one open and grin reassuringly. "It'll be fine. Just cast the concealment charm and stand ready with the bat in case I go all Darth Willow again." The eye closed and Willow took several deep steadying breaths as she forced her body and racing heart to calm and prepare for the first touch of magic since the horrible days of Tara's death. Despite her bravado in front of Lindsey and Fred, Willow was prepared to admit in the privacy of her own head that she was scared spitless by what she was about to do, but with memories resurfacing of Angel after Faith had shot him before the Mayor's ascension she also had a sneaky suspicion that Cordelia was running out of time. The soft whispering of Fred's concealment spell died away and Willow could feel the charm settle around her like a protective blanket as she began the words of her own spell, her hands reaching for her trusty 'stinky herbs' and ritual knife like it had been only yesterday instead of months and another lifetime since she had felt the magic rush through her.  
  
Lindsey reached for Fred as soon as she stopped chanting and pulled her protectively to his side. "Look after, Cordy." He gave the slender Texan a comforting squeeze on her arm and then moved to take up his place behind Willow, baseball bat cocked ready over his shoulder to take Willow out at the first sign of spanking new dark highlights and/or creepy black vein 'thingies' as she so eloquently put it.  
  
The temperature in the room dropped sharply as Willow's muttering increased in intensity and Fred hurriedly took off her jacket and draped it over the already well-covered Cordelia as the Seer began to shiver uncontrollably. Fred yelped as Lindsey acted on nervous reflex and tensed to swing at Willow and waved her hands. "No, not yet!"  
  
Lindsey shivered in the arctic air of the room and nodded at Willow's head where black strands of hair were becoming clearly visible through the vibrant red. "Fred, I have to! She said it would be bad."  
  
"Not yet!" Fred looked at Willow's calm face and laid a protective hand on Cordelia's head on the pillow. "She's holdin' it! Just another minute, this is Cordy's only chance!"  
  
Lindsey bit his lip indecisively and then yelped as Cordelia's body suddenly began to glow white. Fred stumbled back and he moved to catch her and then they both had to turned their faces away as the white changed to a vicious red colour and threatened to blind them. The chill and light faded abruptly and Lindsey raised his head to look back at Cordelia, now resting peacefully, and then at Willow still sitting on the floor holding a writhing ball of poisonous red light. The Wiccan smiled wearily up at her friends and both Fred and Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her eyes were her normal shade of moss green. "You guys wanna get me a bottle or somethin'? This little fella's not exactly chipper to get dragged out of Cordy."  
  
Fred scrambled for a suitable container whilst Lindsey bent to Cordelia on the bed and laid a hand over her forehead. His shoulders sagged in relief as he realised that the skin beneath his hand was cool and dry, the fever having disappeared. Just to make sure he tugged down the blankets and coats heaped on Cordelia and stared at the thin, red mark where her open wound had been. His eyes closed in silent thanks and he turned his head as Willow staggered up, holding onto Fred for support, and beamed at him. "I kick some serious black magic booty." She tumbled onto the bed when her knees gave out and nodded in satisfaction at Cordy's peaceful face. "She'll be ok now."  
  
Fred accepted Lindsey's joyful hug gratefully and grinned. "So what now? We get the hell out of Dodge?"  
  
Willow's face fell. "Well, one of us does." She smiled uneasily at Lindsey's suspicious face. "You aren't gonna like this."  
  
********************************  
  
It turned out Willow was absolutely spot on, Lindsey didn't like it and it took the combined efforts of Fred and Willow and then ten minutes weepy begging from the brunette before he'd even left the motel room they were hiding in. He jumped from the cab of his truck and snatched his trusty tranq gun from behind the seat and then turned to glower at the little wooden cabin standing innocently in the dappled sunlight of the clearing. "Goddamn it!" The truck door slammed shut with a satisfying bang as Lindsey kicked it with all his might and he stomped towards the cabin with a face like a smacked ass. "Goddamn, stupid, reckless, fuckin' idiotic women." The door to the cabin flew open as Lindsey kicked it in and he stormed inside, slamming it shut behind him to glare at the floor where he'd left Angel and the others. Who were no longer there. "Oh SHIT." Lindsey spun back to the door but had only taken a step when a snarling, rage filled Angel blindsided him and they both went crashing to the floor. "Angel, listen to me!" Lindsey struggled frantically beneath the enraged vampire and fought with all his might to pry the large hands off his throat. "Listen to.me!"  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" Angel's furious howl shook the cabin walls as he tightened his grip. "I'm going to kill you and then I'm going to feed you to Spike!"  
  
"You.stupid.bastard." Lindsey gasped for breath and pummelled Angel's shoulder. "I'm.tryin' to.save you."  
  
Angel's eyes flashed gold as he snarled. "From what, bruising my fists on your face?"  
  
"No. From us." Angel and Lindsey froze on the floor and both heads turned slowly to see three huge, blue skinned demons standing smirking in the cabin doorway.  
  
Lindsey swatted the side of Angel's head. "See? I told you!" He prised Angel's fingers from his windpipe and sucked in a grateful breath of air. "They're trying to kill Cordy and the others. Go get 'em, ass-face." He lifted his head as the pressure on his torso eased and Angel hurled himself at the demons with a roar. "Vampires. Always thinkin' with their teeth and dicks." He rolled as a startled blue head landed beside him sans body and screwed up his face in distaste. "Ugh. I hate that guy."  
  
End Part 13. 


End file.
